Electromagnetic specimen transport device, specimen analysis system, and specimen pretreatment device

Abstract

Provided is an electromagnetic specimen transport device that comprises a plurality of coils arranged along a transport surface and transports a transport container including a magnetic body by sequentially switching the coils to be energized using a control device. When sequentially energizing a first coil and a second coil adjacent to each other in the transport direction of the transport container and transporting the same, the control device continues to energize the first coil even after the transport container passes through the first coil, generates thrust in the transport direction in the transport container by energizing the second coil, simultaneously causes a braking force to act on the transport container in a direction opposite to the transport direction by energizing the first coil, and controls the braking force by adjusting the energization amount of the first coil in accordance with the position of the transport container between the first coil and the second coil.

Description

Electromagnetic specimen transport device, specimen analysis system, and specimen pretreatment device

[0001] The present invention relates to an electromagnetic specimen transport device for transporting biological samples (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "specimens") such as blood, plasma, serum, urine, and other body fluids, a specimen analysis system using the same, and a specimen pretreatment device for performing pretreatment required for analysis.

[0002] For example, in a sample analysis system for clinical testing, by connecting multiple devices with different functions via a conveyor line to test the specified analysis items for a sample, each device can automatically execute its own process. To streamline laboratory operations, multiple analyzers for different analytical fields, such as biochemistry and immunology, are sometimes connected via a conveyor line and operated as a single device. Conventional conveyor lines are mainly belt-driven.

[0003] In response to this, an electromagnetic specimen transport device is known that transports a specimen by providing a permanent magnet in a transport container (container carrier) such as a holder that holds specimens, arranging multiple magnetic circuits with windings wound around a core, and sequentially switching between the magnetic circuits that generate electromagnetic attraction force by supplying current to the windings (Patent Document 1, etc.).

[0004] Patent No. 7300281

[0005] In a sample transport device, it is important to prevent the samples loaded in the transport container from shaking or spilling. However, in an electromagnetic sample transport device, the thrust generated in the transport container varies depending on its position relative to the magnetic circuit, and it is necessary to control the current flowing through the windings according to the position of the transport container. Therefore, there is a possibility that the transport speed will unintentionally fluctuate due to an error in the detection position of the transport container.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an electromagnetic sample transport device, a sample analysis system, and a sample pretreatment device that can suppress fluctuations in transport speed due to errors in the detection position of the transport container and suppress swaying and spillage of the sample liquid.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an electromagnetic specimen transport device that comprises a plurality of coils arranged along a transport surface, a drive circuit that supplies current to the coils, and a control device that controls the drive circuit, and that transports a transport container having a magnetic material by sequentially switching the coils to which current is supplied, wherein the control device sequentially supplies current to a first coil and a second coil that are adjacent to the transport direction of the transport container to transport the transport container, and continues to supply current to the first coil even after the transport container has passed the first coil, and generates a thrust force on the transport container in the transport direction by supplying current to the second coil, while at the same time applying a braking force to the transport container in the direction opposite to the transport direction by supplying current to the first coil, and controls the braking force by adjusting the amount of current supplied to the first coil depending on the position of the transport container between the first coil and the second coil.

[0008] According to the present invention, fluctuations in the transport speed due to errors in the detection position of the transport container can be suppressed, and shaking and spillage of the sample liquid can be suppressed.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electromagnetic sample transport device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of coils provided in the electromagnetic sample transport device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing current waveforms and thrust waveforms of a conventional example and the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the characteristics of the electromagnetic forces of the first coil and the second coil acting on a transport container relative to the currents flowing through the first coil and the second coil under the condition that the transport container is located at a point between the first coil and the second coil. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing current waveforms and thrust waveforms of a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an example of a sample analysis system including an electromagnetic sample transport device of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an example of a sample pretreatment device including the electromagnetic sample transport device of the present invention.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] First Embodiment - Electromagnetic Sample Transport Device - FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electromagnetic sample transport device 1 (hereinafter referred to as transport device 1) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The transport device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of coils 25 (electromagnets) arranged at predetermined intervals along a transport surface 12, a plurality of drive circuits 50 that apply voltages to the corresponding coils 25, and a control device 40 that controls these drive circuits 50. FIG. 1 illustrates adjacent first and second coils 25a and 25b of the plurality of coils 25 and drive circuits 50, as well as first and second drive circuits 50a and 50b connected to the first and second coils 25a and 25b, respectively. The transport device 1 transports a transport container (container carrier) 11 having a magnetic body 10 by sequentially switching the coils 25 to which a voltage is applied. First, the configuration of the transport device 1 will be described using FIG. 1.

[0012] The transfer container 11 is an object to be transferred by the transfer device 1. The transfer container 11 may be a sample holder that holds a single sample container, such as a test tube or sample cell containing a liquid sample, or a sample rack that holds multiple sample containers. The transfer container 11 transferred by the transfer device 1 is placed on a transfer surface 12 and supported by the transfer surface 12. The transfer container 11 is equipped with a magnetic body 10. In this embodiment, the magnetic body 10 is a permanent magnet. Neodymium alloys, ferrite, etc. can be suitably used as permanent magnets. In some cases, a soft magnetic body, etc., may be used as the magnetic body 10 instead of a permanent magnet. The magnetic flux acting on this magnetic body 10 causes the transfer container 11 to slide horizontally across the transfer surface 12. The transfer container 11 is transferred to a desired position by switching the coil 25 that generates the magnetic flux.

[0013] The transport device 1 is provided with at least two coils 25. The coils 25 may be arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally as shown in Fig. 2. While determining the current position of the transport container 11, a voltage pulse is applied to the coil 25 located near the transport container 11 and on the forward side in the transport direction on the transport path to the target transport position of the sample, to transport the transport container 11.

[0014] Each coil 25 has a cylindrical core 22 (also called a tooth) made of a magnetic material and a winding 21 wound around the outer periphery of the core 22, and is disposed below the conveying surface 12. While the core 22 is cylindrical in the example shown in FIG. 1 , the core 22 is not limited to a cylindrical shape and may be, for example, a rectangular prism, as shown in FIG. 2 . The magnetic flux passing through the core 22 has the property of becoming less able to pass through the core 22 as it increases. Each coil 25 extends the core 22 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface 12, and is installed so that the end face of the core 22 faces the magnetic material 10 of the conveying container 11 across the conveying surface 12. By passing a current through the winding 21, an electromagnetic force is applied to the magnetic material 10, thereby moving the conveying container 11. To efficiently apply an electromagnetic force to the magnetic material 10 to move the conveying container 11 in a desired direction, relative positional information between the magnetic material 10 and the coil 25 is required.

[0015] 1, if the transfer container 11 is located directly above the first coil 25a, passing a current through the first coil 25a located directly below the transfer container 11 will not apply a force to the transfer container 11 in the transfer direction, i.e., horizontally. Conversely, if a current is passed through the second coil 25b, which is positioned away from the transfer container 11 in the transfer direction, a force that attracts the transfer container 11 to the second coil 25b can be generated by the electromagnetic force acting on the magnetic body 10. In order to control the force (attraction force) that attracts the transfer container 11 in the transfer direction in this way, it is necessary to accurately grasp the current position of the transfer container 11.

[0016] Therefore, in the conveying device 1, the control device 40 calculates the detection of the position and speed of the transfer container 11. The control device 40 inputs detection values ​​related to the position and speed of the transfer container 11 and calculates the position and speed of the transfer container 11 based on the detection values. Examples of detection values ​​related to the position and speed of the transfer container 11 include a magnetic detection signal from a Hall element, a detection signal of the transfer container 11 from a physical position sensor, or an image of the transfer container 11 on the transfer surface 12 taken by a camera. For example, if a Hall element is used as a detector that outputs a detection value related to the position of the transfer container 11, the position of the transfer container 11 is detected by detecting the magnetism of the magnetic body 10 with the Hall element, and the speed of the transfer container 11 can be calculated from the time it takes for the transfer container 11 to move between the cores 22 made of the second magnetic body.

[0017] Furthermore, a current detector 30 that detects the current flowing through each coil 25 can be used as a detector that outputs a detection value related to the position of the transfer container 11. The current detector 30 can be one that measures the voltage of a series resistor, one that uses a current transformer, or one that uses a Hall current sensor. However, the type of sensor is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the coil current. The current detector 30 is a sensor implemented for feedback control of the voltage applied to the coil 25 to cause a target current to flow through the coil 25. By calculating the position of the transfer container 11 based on the output of the current detector 30, a dedicated position detection sensor such as the Hall element can be omitted. In this embodiment, an example of adopting this position detection method is described. In the transfer device 1, the current detector 30 detects the current flowing through the winding 21 of the coil 25 and its flow pattern. The control device 40 calculates the position of the magnetic body 10, i.e., the position of the transfer container 11, based on the output of the current detector 30. The principle of the method for calculating the position of the transfer container 11 from the current flowing through the coil 25 is as follows.

[0018] For example, when the transfer container 11 is located above the first coil 25a in FIG. 1 , the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic body 10 acts on the first coil 25a. In this case, the magnitude of the magnetic flux acting from the magnetic body 10 differs between the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b, which are located at different distances from the magnetic body 10. Furthermore, when a voltage is applied to the winding 21 of the first coil 25a by the corresponding drive circuit 50a to pass a current, a magnetic flux generated by the current is generated in the core 22 of the first coil 25a. Therefore, when a voltage is applied to the first coil 25a with the magnetic body 10 nearby, a magnetic flux due to the magnetic body 10 and a magnetic flux due to the current flowing in the winding 21 are generated in the first coil 25a. When a current flows through the winding 21, a magnetic field is generated around the winding 21, and the resulting magnetic flux is proportional to the value of the current flowing through the winding 21. This proportionality constant is called inductance. However, in a circuit having a magnetic body such as core 22, the inductance of winding 21 changes depending on the magnetic saturation characteristics of core 22, specifically the magnitude of the magnetic flux of magnetic body 10. This means that the inductance of winding 21 changes depending on the position of transfer container 11, i.e., its positional relationship with magnetic body 10. Therefore, by measuring the inductance of winding 21, the position of magnetic body 10 on transfer surface 12 can be detected. This is the basic principle of the method for detecting the position of transfer container 11 based on the inductance characteristics of coil 25.

[0019] More specifically, the voltage V generated in the winding 21 is expressed as follows: V=-dφ / dt (1) where φ is the magnetic flux and t is time. The voltage V is expressed as the amount of change in the magnetic flux per unit time.

[0020] Furthermore, when the current is I and the inductance is L, the following relationship holds: dI / dt=(1 / L)×(dφ / dt) (2)

[0021] Therefore, from the equations (1) and (2), the following relationship holds: dI / dt=-V / L (3)

[0022] In other words, when a constant voltage is applied to the winding 21, the amount of change over time in the current I flowing through the coil 25 changes depending on the magnitude of the inductance L, as shown in equation (3). This means that the way the current generated in the coil 25 rises when a voltage is applied varies. Therefore, when a voltage is applied to the winding 21, the inductance L can be calculated by detecting the amount of change (dI / dt) in the current generated in the winding 21. In other words, if the inductance characteristics of the winding 21, which change depending on the positional relationship with the magnetic body 10, are known, the position of the magnetic body 10, i.e., the position of the transfer container 11, can be found by detecting the amount of change (dI / dt) in the current generated in the coil 25 when a voltage is applied.

[0023] The following describes the basic circuit configuration for detecting the position of the transfer container 11 from the current flowing through the coil 25. First, as shown in Fig. 1, the above-mentioned current detector 30 is provided on the connection line between the winding 21 of each coil 25 and the corresponding drive circuit 50. When a voltage is applied to the winding 21 by the drive circuit 50, a current flows through the winding 21, and the coil current flowing through the winding 21 is detected by the current detector 30 and output to the control device 40.

[0024] Furthermore, for example, a bidirectional chopper driven by a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal is used as the drive circuit 50. The drive circuit 50 is connected to a power supply 55, and by duty controlling the power supply voltage, a predetermined current flows through the winding 21 of the coil 25. Each drive circuit 50 applies a voltage to the corresponding coil 25 in accordance with a voltage command value input from the control device 40.

[0025] -Controller- The controller 40 calculates voltage command values ​​to be issued to each drive circuit 50 in order to obtain the thrust required to transport the transfer container 11. The controller 40 also measures the current change dI / dt occurring in the coil 25 to which voltage is applied based on the current value detected by the current detector 30, calculates the relative position of the coil 25 and the transfer container 11, and calculates an estimate of the current position of the transfer container 11 on the transfer surface 12. Furthermore, based on the calculated estimated position of the magnetic body 10, the controller 40 determines the timing of flowing current to each coil 25 in order to smoothly transport the transfer container 11, and outputs voltage command values ​​to the drive circuits 50 corresponding to the coils 25 through which current is to be passed.

[0026] 3 is a schematic diagram showing current waveforms and thrust waveforms in a conventional example and this embodiment. Fig. 3 shows a scene in which current is sequentially applied to the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b, which are adjacent to the transfer direction A of the transfer container 11, and the transfer container 11 is transferred toward the coil 25b via the coil 25a. In the following description, the positional relationship between the coils 25a and 25b and the transfer container 11 (magnetic body 10) refers to the positional relationship between their centers. For example, when the transfer container 11 is located directly above the coil 25a, this means that the center of the coil 25a and the center of the transfer container 11 are aligned.

[0027] To prevent the sample liquid in the sample containers loaded in the transfer container 11 from shaking or spilling, it is necessary to suppress fluctuations in the thrust of the transfer container 11. In FIG. 3 , as the transfer container 11 approaches the first coil 25a, current is first supplied to the first coil 25a, generating a magnetic pole with a polarity opposite to that of the magnetic body 10 built into the transfer container 11. This causes the electromagnetic attraction force of the coil 25a to act on the transfer container 11 as a thrust (force in the transfer direction A), transporting the transfer container 11 in the transfer direction A. The electromagnetic force of the coil 25a acting on the transfer container 11 is position-dependent between the transfer container 11 and the coil 25a. If the current flowing through the coil 25a is maintained at a constant value t, the electromagnetic force decreases as the transfer container 11 approaches the coil 25a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 , in order to maintain a constant thrust of the transfer container 11, the current flowing through the coil 25a is increased as the transfer container 11 approaches the coil 25a.

[0028] In the conventional example, the supply of current to the first coil 25a is terminated the moment the transfer container 11 reaches a position directly above the first coil 25a, and at the same time, current is also supplied to the second coil 25b adjacent to the coil 25a in the transfer direction A of the transfer container 11. In the example of Figure 3, the supply of current to the coil 25b is initiated before the transfer container 11 reaches the coil 25a, increases as the transfer container 11 approaches the coil 25a, exceeds the current amount of the coil 25a just before the transfer container 11 reaches the coil 25a, and reaches a peak value when the transfer container 11 reaches the coil 25a, i.e., when the current supply to the coil 25a is terminated. In this way, the transfer container 11 is continuously transferred by sequentially switching the coils that apply electromagnetic force to the transfer container 11. Furthermore, if the current in coil 25b is kept constant in an area that is a predetermined distance or more away from coil 25b after the transfer container 11 has passed coil 25a, the electromagnetic force of coil 25b acting on the transfer container 11 increases as the transfer container 11 approaches coil 25b. Therefore, in an area that is a predetermined distance or more away from coil 25b, the current supplied to coil 25b is reduced as the transfer container 11 approaches coil 25b after the transfer container 11 has passed coil 25a, thereby keeping the thrust of the transfer container 11 by coil 25a constant.

[0029] As described above, in the conventional example, the current changes abruptly when the transfer container 11 passes through the first coil 25a. If there is an error in the position detection value of the transfer container 11 calculated by the control device 40 during this abrupt change in current, the position of the transfer container 11 recognized by the control device 40 will differ from the actual position of the transfer container 11, and the desired current corresponding to the actual position of the transfer container 11 will not flow through the coils 25a and 25b. As a result, the force acting on the transfer container 11 will not be kept constant, the transfer speed of the transfer container 11 will fluctuate, and sample liquid may sway. For example, when the transfer container 11 passes through the first coil 25a and is being transported by the electromagnetic force of the second coil 25b, if the position detection value of the transfer container 11 is closer to the coil 25b than the actual position, the current flowing through the coil 25b will be excessively lower than the value that should flow, and the thrust will decrease, causing the speed of the transfer container 11 to suddenly decrease, which will result in the swaying and spillage of the sample liquid.

[0030] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 3, the control device 40 continues to energize the first coil 25a even after the transfer container 11 has passed the first coil 25a, and energizes the coils 25a and 25b simultaneously. That is, after the transfer container 11 has passed the first coil 25a, the control device 40 energizes the second coil 25b to generate a thrust force on the transfer container 11 in the transfer direction A, and at the same time, energizes the first coil 25a to apply a braking force to the transfer container 11 in the direction opposite to the transfer direction A. During this time, the control device 40 controls the braking force by adjusting the amount of electricity supplied to the first coil 25a depending on the position of the transfer container 11 between the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b.

[0031] At this time, the control device 40, when the transfer container 11 is located between the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b, makes the value of the current flowing through the first coil 25a smaller than the value of the current flowing through the second coil 25b at the same time, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 3. This is because if the electromagnetic force from the coil 25a exceeds the electromagnetic force from the coil 25b, a thrust force in the direction opposite to the transfer direction A may be generated on the transfer container 11.

[0032] 3, after the transfer container 11 passes the first coil 25a, the control device 40 reduces the current flowing through the first coil 25a as the transfer container 11 moves away from the first coil 25a between the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b. The timing to stop energizing the first coil 25a is, for example, when the transfer container 11 reaches the second coil 25b.

[0033] Additionally, in this embodiment, the control device 40 applies a constant current to the second coil 25b until the transfer container 11 moves a predetermined distance away from the first coil 25a, as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 3. This constant current section is a section between the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b, and is a section that is a predetermined distance from the first coil 25a. The end of the constant current section is, for example, the point at which current begins to be applied to a third coil (not shown) that is adjacent to the second coil 25b in the transfer direction A.

[0034] In this embodiment, the current flowing through the second coil 25b is maintained at a peak value during the constant current section even after the transfer container 11 has passed the first coil 25a, so that the electromagnetic force of the second coil 25b acting on the transfer container 11 increases in accordance with the displacement of the transfer container 11. On the other hand, current continues to flow through the first coil 25a even after the transfer container 11 has passed the first coil 25a, so that the electromagnetic force of the first coil 25a acts as a braking force on the transfer container 11, thereby offsetting the excess thrust of the second coil 25b with the braking force. Because the magnitude of the electromagnetic force (braking force) from the first coil 25a also varies depending on the position of the transfer container 11, the amount of current flowing through the first coil 25a is gradually reduced as the transfer container 11 moves away from the first coil 25a so that the thrust acting on the transfer container 11 remains constant. Furthermore, after the transfer container 11 has passed the first coil 25a, the magnitude of the current passed through the first coil 25a is preferably smaller than the current passed through the second coil 25b at the same time, so as to prevent the transfer container 11 from being pulled back by the first coil 25a. This is because, particularly in a region where the transfer container 11 is closer to the first coil 25a than the second coil 25b, even if the currents flowing through the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b are the same value, the electromagnetic force from the first coil 25a tends to be greater than the electromagnetic force from the second coil 25b.

[0035] -Effects- (1) According to this embodiment, the first coil 25a continues to be energized even after passing through it, and the transport container 11 is subjected to not only the electromagnetic force as a thrust from the second coil 25b but also the electromagnetic force as a braking force from the first coil 25a. Therefore, the braking force can mitigate sudden fluctuations in the electromagnetic force of the second coil 25b caused by errors in the detection position of the transport container 11, suppressing fluctuations in the transport speed caused by errors in the detection position of the transport container 11 and preventing the sample liquid from shaking or spilling.

[0036] (2) After the transport container 11 passes through the first coil 25a, the magnitude of the current flowing through the first coil 25a is made smaller than the magnitude of the current flowing simultaneously through the second coil 25b, thereby preventing the transport container 11 from moving backward.

[0037] (3) Since the magnitude of the electromagnetic force (braking force) by the first coil 25a also varies depending on the position of the transport container 11, the thrust acting on the transport container 11 can be kept constant by reducing the amount of current flowing through the first coil 25a as the transport container 11 moves away from the first coil 25a after passing through the first coil 25a.

[0038] (4) Figure 4 shows the characteristics of the electromagnetic forces acting on the transfer vessel 11 from the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b relative to the currents flowing through the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b when the transfer vessel 11 is located at a point between the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b. In the conventional example shown in the left diagram of Figure 3, consider a case where there is an error in the position of the transfer vessel 11 calculated by the control device 40, and, for example, the current flowing through the second coil 25b is 1.0 (pu) lower than the current that should flow through the second coil 25b when the transfer vessel 11 is actually located. In this case, the amount of current flowing through the second coil 25b decreases. In the conventional example, because current flow through the first coil 25a has ended at this point, the electromagnetic forces acting on the transfer vessel 11 from the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b decrease discretely by F0. The results obtained from the simulation showed that the fluctuation amount F0 of the electromagnetic force under certain conditions was about 0.23 (pu).

[0039] In contrast, in this embodiment, a constant current section is established for a predetermined distance after the transfer container 11 passes the first coil 25a, and the current flowing through the second coil 25b is kept constant while the transfer container 11 moves through the constant current section. Therefore, even if there is a slight error in the detection position of the transfer container 11, the electromagnetic force generated by the second coil 25b hardly fluctuates within the constant current section. On the other hand, although the amount of current flowing through the first coil 25a varies depending on the detection position of the transfer container 11 even within the same section, when the transfer container 11 is located in a constant current section close to the first coil 25a, even if the current flowing through the first coil 25a is 1.0 (pu) lower than the intended current flow under the same conditions as in the conventional example, the fluctuation F1 of the electromagnetic force generated by the first coil 25a in this embodiment is smaller than the fluctuation F0 of the electromagnetic force generated by the second coil 25b in the conventional example. In this embodiment, there is almost no fluctuation in the electromagnetic force due to the second coil 25b, and therefore the electromagnetic force F1 acting on the transfer container 11 from the first coil 25a and the second coil 25b is obtained. The simulation results showed that F1 was approximately 0.16 (pu) under the same conditions as the conventional example.

[0040] This also works to the advantage of preventing shaking and spillage of the sample liquid.

[0041] Second Embodiment FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a current waveform and a thrust waveform according to a second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG.

[0042] In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, after the transfer container 11 passes the first coil 25 a, current is passed to the second coil 25 b while continuing to be passed to the first coil 25 a. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, after the transfer container 11 passes the first coil 25 a, while the control device 40 is reducing the current passed to the first coil 25 a, the control device 40 reduces the current passed to the second coil 25 b more slowly than the current passed to the first coil 25 a.

[0043] Furthermore, the current through the second coil 25b in this embodiment is decreased more gradually than the current through the second coil 25b in the conventional example shown in the left diagram of FIG. 3 . That is, in this embodiment, after the transfer container 11 passes the first coil 25a, the current through the second coil 25b is always greater than the current that would be passed through the second coil 25b if power to the first coil 25a were stopped when the transfer container 11 passed the first coil 25a. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, after the transfer container 11 passes the first coil 25a, the thrust generated on the transfer container 11 by the second coil 25b exceeds the target thrust. Therefore, the electromagnetic force from the first coil 25a acts on the transfer container 11 as a braking force to offset the excess thrust.

[0044] In other respects, this embodiment is similar to the first embodiment.

[0045] In this embodiment, after the transport container 11 passes through the first coil 25a, the electromagnetic force of the first coil 25a acts as a braking force on the transport container 11, so as in the first embodiment, fluctuations in the transport speed due to errors in the detection position of the transport container 11 can be suppressed, and swaying and spillage of the sample liquid can be suppressed.

[0046] After the transport container 11 passes through the first coil 25a, the current flowing through the second coil 25b decreases more slowly than the current flowing through the first coil 25a, so that the braking force by the first coil 25a can always be kept smaller than the thrust force by the second coil 25b.

[0047] Furthermore, after the transfer container 11 passes through the first coil 25a, the amount of current flowing through the second coil 25b decreases more gradually than in the conventional example, so that even if an error occurs in the detection position of the transfer container 11, the fluctuation in the electromagnetic force of the second coil 25b due to the error in the detection position is smaller than in the conventional example. This also works advantageously in suppressing shaking and spillage of the sample liquid.

[0048] <Sample Analysis System> A sample analysis system equipped with the transport device 1 of the present invention will be described. The sample analysis system is an apparatus that dispenses a sample and a reagent into a reaction vessel, reacts them, and measures the reacted liquid.

[0049] 6 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an example of a sample analysis system 100 equipped with a transport device 1. The sample analysis system 100 includes an input section 101, an emergency rack insertion port 113, a transport line 102, a buffer 104, an analysis section 105, a storage section 103, a display section 118, and a control section 120.

[0050] The loading section 101 is a place where a sample rack 111 is placed, which contains a plurality of sample containers 122 containing biological samples (samples) such as blood and urine.

[0051] The emergency rack insertion port 113 is a place for inserting into the device a sample rack (calibration rack) loaded with a standard solution or a sample rack 111 containing a sample container 122 containing a sample that requires urgent analysis.

[0052] The transport line 102 is a line that transports a sample rack 111 installed in the loading section 101, and is configured with the transport device 1 of the first or second embodiment. In this example, the sample rack 111 corresponds to the transport container 11 described in the first and second embodiments, and a magnetic body 10 is provided at the bottom of the sample rack 111.

[0053] The buffer 104 holds a plurality of sample racks 111 transported by the transport line 102 so that the order in which samples are dispensed in the sample racks 111 can be changed.

[0054] The analysis unit 105 analyzes the sample transported from the buffer 104. The analysis unit 105 has the same configuration as an analysis unit included in a general sample analysis system, for example.

[0055] The storage section 103 stores sample racks 111 that contain sample containers 122 holding samples that have been analyzed in the analysis section 105 .

[0056] The display unit 118 is a display device for displaying the results of the analysis performed by the analysis unit 105. For example, the display unit 118 displays the concentration of a predetermined component contained in the sample as the analysis result.

[0057] The control unit 120 is configured with a computer or the like, and controls the operation of each mechanism of the sample analysis system 100, as well as performs arithmetic processing to determine the concentration of a predetermined component in a sample such as blood or urine. The control unit 120 corresponds to the control device 40 in the first or second embodiment.

[0058] The sample analysis system 100 in this example is equipped with the transport device 1 of the first or second embodiment, and can transport the sample container 122 at a stable speed, making it less likely that problems will occur when transporting the sample container 122 and reducing the burden on the laboratory technician.

[0059] <Sample Pretreatment Device> A description will be given of a sample pretreatment device equipped with the transport device 1 of the present invention. The sample pretreatment device is a device that performs various pretreatments required for analyzing samples.

[0060] 7 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an example of a sample pre-treatment device 150 equipped with the transport device 1. The sample pre-treatment device 150 has the same configuration as a general sample pre-treatment device, except for the application of the transport device 1. For example, the sample pre-treatment device 150 includes a capping unit 152, a sample storage unit 153, an empty holder stacker 154, a sample introduction unit 155, a centrifugation unit 156, a liquid volume measurement unit 157, an uncapping unit 158, a secondary sample container preparation unit 159, a dispensing unit 160, and a transfer unit 161, as well as an operation unit 163 that controls the operations of these multiple units.

[0061] The sample pretreatment device 150 is connected to a sample analysis system 100, which performs qualitative and quantitative analysis of the components of the sample, as a destination of the pretreated sample.

[0062] The transport device 1 of the first or second embodiment connects the multiple units included in the sample pretreatment device 150 and connects the sample pretreatment device 150 to the sample analysis system 100. The transport device 1 transports sample holders and sample racks that hold sample containers 122.

[0063] The specimen pretreatment device 150 in this example is equipped with the transport device 1 of the first or second embodiment, and can transport specimen containers 122 at a stable speed, making it less likely that problems will occur when transporting the specimen containers 122 and reducing the burden on the laboratory technician.

[0064] <Additional Remarks> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and may include various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. For example, it is possible to replace some of the configurations with other configurations. It is also possible to delete some of the configurations of the embodiments or add other configurations.

[0065] 1...electromagnetic sample transport device, 10...magnetic material, 11...transport container, 12...transport surface, 25a...first coil, 25b...second coil, 30...current detector (detector), 40...control device, 50a, 50b...drive circuit, 100...sample analysis system, 102...transport line (electromagnetic sample transport device), 111...sample rack (transport container), 120...control unit (control device), 150...sample pretreatment device

Claims

1. An electromagnetic specimen transport device comprising a plurality of coils arranged along a transport surface, a drive circuit for energizing the coils, and a control device for controlling the drive circuit, which transports a transport container having a magnetic body by sequentially switching the coils to be energized, wherein the control device, when transporting the transport container by sequentially energizing a first coil and a second coil adjacent to the transport direction of the transport container, continues to energize the first coil even after the transport container has passed the first coil, energizes the second coil to generate a thrust force on the transport container in the transport direction, and simultaneously energizes the first coil to apply a braking force to the transport container in the direction opposite to the transport direction, and controls the braking force by adjusting the amount of electricity supplied to the first coil depending on the position of the transport container between the first coil and the second coil.

2. An electromagnetic specimen transport device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the control device makes the value of the current flowing through the first coil when the transport container is positioned between the first coil and the second coil smaller than the value of the current flowing through the second coil at the same time.

3. An electromagnetic specimen transport device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the control device reduces the current flowing through the first coil between the first coil and the second coil as the transport container moves away from the first coil after the transport container has passed through the first coil.

4. An electromagnetic specimen transport device according to claim 3, further comprising a detector that outputs a detection value relating to the position of the transport container, and the control device calculates the position of the transport container based on the output of the detector.

5. An electromagnetic specimen transport device according to claim 4, wherein the detector is a current detector that detects the current flowing through the coil.

6. An electromagnetic specimen transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control device passes a constant current through the second coil until the transport container moves a predetermined distance away from the first coil.

7. An electromagnetic specimen transport device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the control device reduces the current flowing through the second coil more slowly than the current flowing through the first coil while reducing the current flowing through the first coil after the transport container has passed through the first coil.

8. A sample analysis system equipped with an electromagnetic sample transport device comprising a plurality of coils arranged along a transport surface, a drive circuit for energizing the coils, and a control device for controlling the drive circuit, which transports a transport container having a magnetic material by sequentially switching the coils to be energized, wherein the control device, when transporting the transport container by sequentially energizing a first coil and a second coil adjacent to the transport direction of the transport container, continues to energize the first coil even after the transport container has passed the first coil, energizes the second coil to generate a thrust force on the transport container in the transport direction, and simultaneously energizes the first coil to apply a braking force to the transport container in the direction opposite to the transport direction, and controls the braking force by adjusting the amount of electricity supplied to the first coil depending on the position of the transport container between the first coil and the second coil.

9. A specimen pre-treatment device equipped with an electromagnetic specimen transport device comprising a plurality of coils arranged along a transport surface, a drive circuit for energizing the coils, and a control device for controlling the drive circuit, which transports a transport container having a magnetic body by sequentially switching the coils to be energized, wherein the control device, when transporting the transport container by sequentially energizing a first coil and a second coil adjacent to the transport direction of the transport container, continues to energize the first coil even after the transport container has passed the first coil, energizes the second coil to generate a thrust force on the transport container in the transport direction, and simultaneously energizes the first coil to apply a braking force to the transport container in the direction opposite to the transport direction, and controls the braking force by adjusting the amount of electricity supplied to the first coil depending on the position of the transport container between the first coil and the second coil.

Images