Conveyance device, specimen conveyance system, and conveyance method for conveyed body

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a magnetic body 12 provided on a specimen container carrier 11; a conveyance unit 20 having a plurality of electromagnets 22 each having a core 22a and a coil 22b wound around the outer periphery of the core 22a; a drive unit 24 that supplies current to each of the coils 22b of the conveyance unit 20; and a control unit 25 that controls the value of the current supplied from the drive unit 24 to the coils 22b. The control unit 25 acquires mass information of the specimen container carrier 11 on the basis of friction information and the conveyance time of the specimen container carrier 11 for a prescribed interval, and changes the current supplied from the drive unit 24 on the basis of the mass information. The present invention thereby provides a conveyance device, a specimen conveyance system, and a conveyance method for a conveyed body which are capable of more stably stopping a specimen container carrier.

Description

Transport device, specimen transport system, and transport method for object to be transported

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport device, a specimen transport system, and a method for transporting an object in a specimen testing automation system that performs the processing required for analyzing biological samples (hereinafter referred to as "specimens") such as blood, plasma, serum, urine, and other body fluids.

[0002] As an example of a conveying device that detects abnormalities in the conveying device caused by changes in the surface condition of the conveying plane and maintains high conveying performance, Patent Document 1 describes a conveying device that has a conveying plane above which a conveying container having a magnetic material is conveyed, a position detection unit that detects the position of the conveying container on the conveying plane, a magnetic pole arranged below the conveying plane and having a core and a coil, a drive unit that applies voltage to the magnetic pole, and a calculation unit that controls the drive unit, and the calculation unit calculates the conveying speed of the conveying container based on the position of the conveying container on the conveying plane and the time it passes through the position, and detects the surface condition of the conveying plane based on the calculated conveying speed of the conveying container.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-10254

[0004] In a sample analysis system for clinical testing, specified analysis items are tested on samples such as blood, plasma, serum, urine, and other body fluids.

[0005] This sample analysis system connects devices with multiple functions and can process each process automatically. In other words, in order to streamline laboratory operations, analysis sections for multiple analytical fields such as biochemistry and immunology, and pre-processing sections that perform the pre-processing required for analysis, are connected by a conveying line and operated as a single system.

[0006] The transport lines used in conventional sample analysis systems are mainly belt-driven. With this type of belt-driven system, if an abnormality occurs and the transport stops midway, samples cannot be supplied to the downstream equipment. For this reason, careful attention must be paid to belt wear.

[0007] With the advancement of medical technology and the aging society, the importance of sample processing is increasing. Therefore, in order to improve the analytical processing capacity of sample analysis systems, high-speed sample transport, simultaneous large-volume sample transport, and multi-directional sample transport are desired.

[0008] An example of a technique for realizing such transportation is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-222299.

[0009] Here, the specimen container carrier is loaded with specimens and specimen containers containing the specimens, and the masses of the specimens in the containers are different from one another.

[0010] When the sample container carrier is transported, the magnetic material in the sample container carrier is subjected to an electromagnetic force in a diagonally downward direction, which generates a frictional force between the magnetic material and the transport surface.

[0011] Here, during acceleration, the greater the kinetic frictional force with the transport surface and the greater the mass of the sample container carrier, the more the acceleration of the sample container carrier is hindered.

[0012] On the other hand, during deceleration, kinetic friction contributes to the deceleration of the sample container carrier, but the greater the mass of the sample container carrier, the more difficult it is to decelerate. Therefore, when trying to control deceleration by increasing or decreasing the electromagnetic force based on the transport speed of the sample container carrier, it is difficult to determine whether the electromagnetic force should be increased because the kinetic friction force is strong, or whether the electromagnetic force should be decreased because the mass is large. For this reason, it is important to control the electromagnetic force by separately estimating the kinetic friction force and the mass in order to prevent sample scattering and improve the accuracy of the stopping position of the sample container carrier.

[0013] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 and the like describe a method of increasing or decreasing the electromagnetic force by estimating the kinetic friction force and mass, but as a result of extensive research by the present inventors, it has become clear that an improvement can be made by estimating the kinetic friction force and mass separately and calculating the electromagnetic force required during deceleration.

[0014] The present invention provides a transport device, a sample transport system, and a method for transporting an object to be transported, which are capable of stopping a sample container carrier more stably.

[0015] The present invention includes multiple means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example thereof includes a conveying unit having a magnetic body provided on a conveyed object, a core, and a plurality of magnetic poles with coils wound around the outer periphery of the core, a drive unit that supplies current to each of the coils of the conveying unit, and a control unit that controls the value of the current supplied from the drive unit to the coils, wherein the control unit obtains mass information of the conveyed object based on the conveying time for a predetermined section of the conveyed object and friction information, and changes the current supplied from the drive unit based on the mass information.

[0016] According to the present invention, the specimen container carrier can be stopped more stably. Objects, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0017] 1 is a schematic diagram of a sample testing automation system including a sample transport system equipped with a transport device of an embodiment; a schematic diagram of a transport device of an embodiment; a schematic diagram showing a speed change in the transport device of an embodiment; a diagram showing a speed control section in a deceleration phase in the transport device of an embodiment; and a diagram showing an example of speed control in a deceleration phase in the transport device of an embodiment.

[0018] The transport device, specimen transport system, and transport method for a transported object according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the drawings used in this specification, identical or similar reference numerals are used to designate identical or corresponding components, and repeated explanations of these components may be omitted.

[0019] First, the overall configuration of a sample testing automation system including a sample transport system equipped with a transport device will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a sample testing automation system equipped with a transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the transport device according to the embodiment.

[0020] The specimen testing automation system 100 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a system equipped with an analyzer for automatically analyzing components of specimens such as blood and urine.

[0021] The main components of the specimen testing automation system 100 are specimen container carriers 11 (see FIG. 2) on which specimen containers 10 (see FIG. 2, etc.) containing specimens such as blood or urine are mounted, or a plurality of transport devices 70 (12 in FIG. 1) that transport empty holders, a plurality of analyzers 80 (4 in FIG. 1), and a control computer 90 that performs integrated management of the specimen testing automation system 100. Of these, one or more transport devices 70 constitute the specimen transport system.

[0022] The analyzer 80 is a unit for performing qualitative and quantitative analysis of the components of the sample transported by the transport device 70. The analysis items in this unit are not particularly limited, and the configuration of a known automatic analyzer for analyzing biochemical items or immunological items can be adopted. Furthermore, when multiple analyzers are provided, they may be of the same or different specifications and are not particularly limited.

[0023] Each transport device 70 transports the specimens in the specimen containers 10 mounted on the specimen container carriers 11 to their destinations by sliding them along a transport path due to the interaction between an electromagnet 22 (see FIG. 2) and a magnetic body 12 (see FIG. 2) provided on the specimen container carrier 11. Details will be described in detail using FIG. 2 and subsequent figures.

[0024] The control computer 90 controls the operation of the entire system, including the transport device 70 and the analysis device 80, and is composed of a computer having a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an input device, a storage device, a CPU, a memory, etc. The control computer 90 controls the operation of each device based on various programs recorded in the storage device.

[0025] The control processes executed by the control computer 90 may be integrated into a single program, separated into multiple programs, or a combination of these. Some or all of the programs may be implemented using dedicated hardware or may be modularized. Furthermore, the various programs may be installed in each device via a program distribution server or external storage media, or may be used to update existing devices.

[0026] 1, the case where four analyzers 80 are provided is described, but the number of analyzers is not particularly limited and may be one or more. Similarly, the number of transport devices 70 is also not particularly limited and may be one or more.

[0027] Furthermore, various specimen pre-processing and post-processing sections that perform pre-processing and post-processing on specimens can be provided in the specimen testing automation system 100. The detailed configuration of the specimen pre-processing and post-processing sections is not particularly limited, and the configuration of a known pre-processing device can be adopted.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the transport device 70 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0029] 2, a plurality of specimen container carriers 11, each carrying a specimen container 10 containing a specimen, are provided in the transport device 70. A magnetic body 12 is provided on the bottom surface of each of the specimen container carriers 11.

[0030] 2, the conveying device 70 is composed of a conveying section 20 and a conveying surface 21. The conveying surface 21 is a smooth surface, and on the back side (below) thereof, the conveying section 20 is provided, in which electromagnets 22 and sensors 23 are arranged at equal intervals.

[0031] In the transport unit 20, each of the electromagnets 22 is composed of a core 22a made of a magnetic material and a coil 22b wound around the outer periphery of the core 22a.

[0032] The sensor 23 is used to detect the position of the sample container carrier 11 on the transport surface 21. Examples of the sensor 23 include a magnetic sensor that uses the magnetic material 12 inside the sample container carrier 11, and an optical sensor. In some cases, the electromagnet 22 itself performs this function without installing a sensor.

[0033] The specimen container carrier 11 carries one specimen container 10 and incorporates a magnetic body 12 therein. Therefore, by supplying a current to the electromagnet 22 to generate a magnetic field on the transport surface 21, the magnetic body 12 in the specimen container carrier 11 can be attracted or repelled.

[0034] The driving unit 24 is a unit that supplies current to each of the coils 22b of the transport unit 20, and the control unit 25 is a unit that controls the value of the current that is supplied from the driving unit 24 to the coils 22b.

[0035] Of these, the control unit 25 may be configured as hardware using a dedicated circuit board, or may be configured as software executed by a computer. If configured as hardware, it can be realized by integrating multiple arithmetic units that execute processing on a wiring board, or in a semiconductor chip or package. If configured as software, it can be realized by installing a high-speed general-purpose CPU in a computer and executing a program that executes the desired arithmetic processing. It is also possible to upgrade existing devices using a recording medium on which this program is recorded. Furthermore, these devices, circuits, and computers are connected via a wired or wireless network, and data is transmitted and received as appropriate.

[0036] For example, if current is supplied to the electromagnet 22 on the right side of the specimen container carrier 11 in Fig. 2, the specimen container carrier 11 will move to the right side in Fig. 2. By changing the electromagnet 22 that supplies current in this way in accordance with the position of the specimen container carrier 11, the specimen container carrier 11 can be transported over long distances.

[0037] Furthermore, the specimen container carrier 11 can be slid two-dimensionally along the arrangement of the electromagnets 22 on the transport surface 21 to transport specimens. In other words, the specimen container carrier 11 can be transported in four directions: forward, backward, leftward, and rightward.

[0038] For one specimen container carrier 11, current is supplied to two electromagnets 22 located in front and behind the direction of travel, thereby enabling control of acceleration and deceleration of the specimen container carrier 11.

[0039] Here, a frictional force acts between the sample container carrier 11 and the transport surface 21, but this frictional force is not necessarily constant due to factors such as scratches or dirt on the underside of the sample container carrier 11 or the transport surface 21. Furthermore, the state of the contact surface of the sample container carrier 11 with the transport surface 21 and the state of wear on the transport surface 21 are also not necessarily constant.

[0040] Furthermore, even if a constant current is supplied to the electromagnet 22, the force that attracts and repels the specimen container carrier 11, i.e., the magnetic body 12, is not necessarily constant.

[0041] Due to these circumstances, the speed at which the specimen container carrier 11 is transported is not necessarily stable.

[0042] In the structure of the transport device 70 of the first embodiment, the sensors 23 are installed at regular intervals, so it is possible to determine which sensor 23 has detected the specimen container carrier 11. Furthermore, since the distance between the multiple sensors 23 is obvious, the control unit 25 can calculate the estimated movement speed of the specimen container carrier 11 from the relationship between the time and distance detected by the sensor 23.

[0043] Based on the difference between this estimated moving speed and the target speed, the control unit 25 adjusts the current supplied to the electromagnet 22 and instructs the drive unit 24 to transport the specimen container carrier 11 at a speed close to the target speed.

[0044] That is, in this embodiment, the control unit 25 acquires mass information of the specimen container carrier 11 based on the transport time of a specified section of the specimen container carrier 11 and friction information, and changes the current supplied from the drive unit 24 based on the mass information.

[0045] At this time, the control unit 25 can change the current supplied by the drive unit 24 based on the mass information and friction information. In particular, the control unit 25 can change the current in the deceleration section where the specimen container carrier 11 is decelerated based on the mass information.

[0046] Next, the speed control will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 and subsequent figures.

[0047] Focusing on one sample container carrier 11, as shown in FIG. 3, when the sample container carrier 11 is transported, the transport speed is controlled by dividing it into three phases: an acceleration phase 51, a constant speed phase 52, and a deceleration phase 53.

[0048] 3, in an acceleration phase 51, the sample container carrier 11 is accelerated from a stopped state to a specified speed. In a constant speed phase 52, the sample container carrier 11 is transported while maintaining the specified speed. Finally, in a deceleration phase 53, the sample container carrier 11 is stopped at a target point while suppressing changes in acceleration.

[0049] 3, the speed is not stable at the start of the deceleration phase 53, and the robot must be stopped at the target point with high accuracy while preventing large changes in acceleration, so highly accurate transport control is required. Therefore, the control unit 25 controls the deceleration phase 53 based on information obtained from the acceleration phase 51 and the constant speed phase 52.

[0050] The acquisition of information will be described below.

[0051] In the constant speed phase 52, a speed v32 is calculated from the time ta when the point a is passed and the time tb when the point b is passed, as shown in the following equation (1).

[0052] V = (tb - ta) / (a ​​- b) (1) This is set as the conveying speed Vb when the conveying sheet reaches point b. These speed calculations are performed for each installation location of the sensor 23 in the constant speed phase. From this, the control unit 25 calculates the differential speed Vd between the target speed Vt31 at each point and the actual conveying speed Vb.

[0053] In electromagnetic transport, the sample container carrier 11 is transported while speed feedback is applied, so that when the dynamic friction force is high, the average speed is low, and when the dynamic friction force is low, the average speed is high.

[0054] From this, the control unit 25 can determine that the kinetic friction force is strong when the average value of the differential speed Vd is large, and that the kinetic friction force is low when the average value of the differential speed Vd is small. This friction information can be obtained from the relationship of the following equation (2).

[0055] Friction information = Reference value - Average value of Vd (2) Note that the "reference value" in formula (2) can be a value that is determined in advance as being approximately this value, as shown in Fig. 5, which will be described later. Also, in the early stage of acceleration when the friction information of formula (2) cannot be obtained, and when the conveyance time information and friction information have not yet been obtained, an initial setting value according to the conveyance distance can be used.

[0056] In the system of the transport device 70 of this embodiment, the electromagnet 22 that attracts the magnetic material 12 inside the specimen container carrier 11 is located below, and the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnet 22 is very strong compared to the amount of mass change in the specimen container carrier 11. Therefore, in the constant speed phase 52, the magnitude of the kinetic friction force is more strongly influenced by changes in the kinetic friction coefficient than by the magnitude of the mass.

[0057] Therefore, if the speed feedback works sufficiently and there is little change in the differential speed Vd, it is also effective to determine the dynamic friction force based on how much the electromagnetic force has been corrected by the speed feedback.

[0058] In the acceleration phase 51, the control unit 25 calculates td from the difference between the time 41 (time ts) from when the sample container carrier 11 starts and when it reaches a specified distance, and the specified time. The mass of the sample container carrier 11 is predicted from a combination of td and the kinetic friction force.

[0059] Specifically, it is assumed that the mass is low when td is small and high when td is large, and then a correction is made to reduce the mass as the kinetic friction force increases, as shown in the following equation (3). This information is used as mass information.

[0060] Mass information = (ts41 - specified time = td) - (friction information x acceleration distance x correction coefficient) ... (3) Based on the kinetic friction force information predicted by equation (2) and the mass information calculated by equation (3), the transport of the specimen container carrier 11 is controlled in the deceleration phase 53.

[0061] Based on the predicted dynamic friction force information and mass information, the control unit 25 calculates the electromagnetic force required in the area divided into sections 1, 11, and 12 as shown in FIG.

[0062] 5, correction parameters are prepared for each section, and the current to be supplied to the electromagnet 22 is calculated from the correction parameters and the predicted kinetic friction force and mass. Taking section 1 as an example, the current to be supplied to the electromagnet is calculated using the following equation (4).

[0063] Current supplied to front electromagnet = A1 + speed feedback correction - (mass information x A2) + (friction information x A3) ... (4) The control unit 25 instructs the drive unit 24 to supply the calculated current to the electromagnet, thereby realizing an actual speed 32 relative to the target speed 31 in Figure 3.

[0064] This method makes it possible to predict mass information during operation, eliminating the need to incorporate a dedicated mass measuring device, which is expected to be effective in saving space and reducing costs for the equipment.

[0065] The method for calculating the required electromagnetic force based on the predicted kinetic friction force and mass is not limited to this method.

[0066] 4 by detection by the sensor 23. The section is switched to sections 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 depending on the time required for transport in the section calculated from the speed.

[0067] For example, in FIG. １ / 2 passes from section 1 to section 2, t ２ The control unit 25 switches from section 3 to section 4 after 1 / 2 has elapsed. Therefore, if the speed of the specimen container carrier 11 becomes slower than calculated, the duration of section 2 will be longer than that of section 1. Therefore, the control unit 25 instructs the drive unit 24 to apply a stronger electromagnetic force to section 2 than to section 1. Then, in the next section, the control unit 25 instructs the drive unit 24 to apply a stronger electromagnetic force to section 4 than to section 3.

[0068] In this way, when the section between sensors 23 and 23 is divided into multiple sections, the control unit 25 can control the current supplied by the drive unit 24 so that the thrust is stronger than the target thrust in the later sections, and the thrust is weaker than the target thrust in the earlier sections.

[0069] As a result, if an unexpected decrease in speed occurs, the strong electromagnetic force acts for a long time, causing the speed to increase, but if the speed increases unexpectedly, the strong electromagnetic force does not act for a long time, preventing the speed from increasing. This function prevents the sample container carrier 11 from deviating significantly from the target speed even when an unexpected change in speed occurs, even if the position of the sample container carrier 11 cannot be constantly determined.

[0070] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0071] The transport device 70 of the present embodiment described above comprises a magnetic body 12 provided on the specimen container carrier 11, a transport unit 20 having a plurality of electromagnets 22 each having a core 22a and a coil 22b wound around the outer periphery of the core 22a, a drive unit 24 that supplies current to each of the coils 22b of the transport unit 20, and a control unit 25 that controls the value of the current supplied from the drive unit 24 to the coils 22b, and the control unit 25 acquires mass information of the specimen container carrier 11 based on the transport time of a predetermined section of the specimen container carrier 11 and friction information, and changes the current supplied from the drive unit 24 based on the mass information.

[0072] In addition, the method of transporting a specimen container carrier 11 having a magnetic material 12 in this embodiment acquires mass information of the specimen container carrier 11 based on the transport time of a predetermined section of the specimen container carrier 11 and friction information, and based on the mass information, changes the current supplied to each of the coils 22b of the transport unit 20 having a core 22a made of a second magnetic material and a plurality of electromagnets 22 having coils 22b wound around the outer periphery of the core 22a.

[0073] In this way, the electromagnetic force is increased or decreased based on friction information and mass information, and therefore transport, particularly deceleration control, can be achieved according to the state of the sample container carrier 11 and the state of the transport surface 21, facilitating speed adjustment with small acceleration of the sample container carrier 11. As a result, it is expected that the stopping accuracy of the sample container carrier 11 will be improved, and scattering of samples will be further suppressed.

[0074] Furthermore, the control unit 25 changes the current supplied by the drive unit 24 based on the mass information and friction information, thereby realizing transport according to the state of the specimen container carrier 11 and the state of the transport surface 21.

[0075] Furthermore, the control unit 25 can realize control in the section where the most effective effect can be obtained by changing the current in the deceleration section where the specimen container carrier 11 is decelerated based on the mass information.

[0076] In addition, the transport unit 20 further includes a plurality of sensors 23 that detect the position of the specimen container carrier 11, and the control unit 25 controls the current supplied by the drive unit 24 so that when the section between the sensors 23 is divided into a plurality of sections, the thrust in the previous section is lower than the target thrust, thereby achieving transport closer to the target speed.

[0077] <Others> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. The above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the described configurations.

[0078] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Sample container 11... Sample container carrier (transported object) 12... Magnetic body 20... Transport unit (transport unit) 21... Transport surface 22... Electromagnet (magnetic pole) 22a... Core 22b... Coil 23... Sensor 24... Drive unit 25... Control unit 31... Target speed 32... Actual speed 41... Time required for acceleration 51... Acceleration phase 52... Constant speed phase 53... Deceleration phase 70... Transport device 80... Analytical device 90... Control computer 100... Sample testing automation system

Claims

1. A conveying device comprising: a magnetic body provided on a conveyed object; a conveying unit having a core and a plurality of magnetic poles with coils wound around the outer periphery of the core; a driving unit that supplies current to each of the coils of the conveying unit; and a control unit that controls the value of the current supplied from the driving unit to the coils, wherein the control unit acquires mass information of the conveyed object based on the conveying time for a predetermined section of the conveyed object and friction information, and changes the current supplied from the driving unit based on the mass information.

2. A conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the current supplied by the drive unit based on the mass information and the friction information.

3. A conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the current in a deceleration section where the conveyed object is decelerated based on the mass information.

4. A conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying section further comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting the position of the object to be conveyed, and the control section controls the current supplied by the drive section so that, when the section between the sensors is divided into a plurality of sections, the thrust in the preceding section is lower than the target thrust.

5. A specimen transport system comprising the transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method for transporting a transported object having a magnetic material, comprising: acquiring mass information of the transported object based on the transport time of the transported object for a predetermined section and friction information; and varying the current supplied to each of the coils of a transport unit having a core made of a second magnetic material and multiple magnetic poles with coils wound around the outer periphery of the core based on the mass information.

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