Automatic analyzer and container storage

Abstract

The present invention includes: a holding part 21 on which a reagent bottle 24 for storing a liquid is placed; a horizontal shaft 31, a connection point 32, a rotary disk 33 and a rotating operation control unit 34 which rotate, in a vertical direction, one or more holding parts 21 annularly arranged in a perpendicular direction; and a support point 35 and a rotation support disk 36 which are connected to the holding part 21 and which control the posture of the holding part 21 so as to deflect the holding part 21 in a direction different from the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force applied to the holding part 21. Thus, the present invention, while achieving stable reagent dispensing, positively uses an oscillation effect obtained by oscillating agitation of the liquid reagent inside the reagent bottle by rotating operation.

Description

Automated analyzer and container storage

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer and a container storage.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a chemical analysis device that mixes a sample and a reagent and performs spectroscopic analysis of the reaction results of the resulting mixture. The device has a reagent bottle holder that is rotatably connected around the horizontal axis of a rotating drum, and is rotatably connected to an auxiliary ring by a connecting part provided at the bottom of the reagent bottle holder, so that the opening of the reagent bottle always faces upward even when the drum rotates.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 04-109168

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, it becomes necessary to control the attitude of the reagent bottle holder as the reagent bottle is rotated in the vertical direction. In particular, if the reagent bottle does not have a cap, it becomes necessary to control the rotation speed so that the solution in the reagent bottle does not scatter due to the rotation, and to close the opening of the reagent bottle with a structure on the device's mechanism side to prevent evaporation, which creates limitations and concerns about actively utilizing the rocking effect of the rotation.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatic analyzer that uses a vertically rotating container storage cabinet and can actively utilize the effect of shaking, stirring, and rocking the liquid inside the containers caused by the rotational action.

[0006] An automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a holder for placing a container for holding a liquid, a rotation device for vertically rotating the holder arranged in a vertical ring, and an attitude control unit connected to the holder and controlling the attitude of the holder so that it deflects in a direction different from the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on the holder.

[0007] According to the present invention, an automatic analyzer can be provided that uses a vertically rotating container storage cabinet and can actively utilize the effect of shaking, stirring, and rocking the liquid inside the container due to the rotational action.

[0008] 1 is a plan view schematically showing the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer. A perspective view of a reagent storage cabinet. A diagram showing the reagent storage cabinet as viewed from the extension direction of the rotation axis. A diagram showing the reagent storage cabinet as viewed from the side relative to the rotation axis. A schematic diagram of the effects of gravity and centrifugal force generated by vertical rotation of a reagent storage mechanism. A diagram showing an outline of the support structure of a holder. A diagram showing an outline of the support structure of a holder. A diagram showing an outline of the support structure of a holder. A diagram showing how liquid in a reagent bottle oscillates with vertical rotation of a conventional reagent storage mechanism. A diagram showing how liquid in a reagent bottle oscillates with vertical rotation of the reagent storage mechanism. A diagram showing how liquid in a reagent bottle oscillates with vertical rotation of the reagent storage mechanism. A diagram showing how liquid in a reagent bottle oscillates with vertical rotation of the reagent storage mechanism.

[0009] First, the background and problems of this embodiment will be described. In an automated analyzer, in order to increase the sample measurement processing capacity per unit time, it is necessary to install multiple functional units that may be rate-limiting processes and operate them simultaneously, or to increase the number of samples, reagents, and consumables installed as much as possible to minimize the time and frequency of operator access to the analyzer. In particular, when the analyzer is operated continuously or in a laboratory where multiple measurements are performed, it is desirable to prepare and install a sufficient number of reagent bottles for each measurement item to be analyzed in the analyzer to prevent the frequent replacement of reagent bottles during testing.

[0010] Furthermore, large-scale hospitals and laboratories that perform multi-item measurements and operate the equipment constantly require automated analyzers that can perform high-output measurements. However, equipment with high processing capabilities is generally classified as large equipment, and the higher the output, the larger the size and the larger the installation area that is required.

[0011] However, because laboratory space is limited, the size of the installation area for an automated analyzer is an important factor that customers consider when selecting an automated analyzer. In automated analyzers with conventional horizontally rotating reagent storage cabinets, reagent bottles are placed on a horizontal plane, meaning that the reagent storage cabinet takes up most of the installation area of ​​the automated analyzer, for example, 20 to 50%.

[0012] In response to this, the aforementioned Patent Document 1 discloses an analyzer that has a structure in which the reagent storage cabinet rotates vertically around a horizontal axis rather than horizontally, in order to enable the installation of a sufficient number of reagent bottles in an automatic analyzer while reducing the installation area.

[0013] The functions required of a reagent storage cabinet are diverse, including not only being able to store as many reagent bottles as possible in a small space, but also ease of manual / automatic installation and removal of reagent bottles, opening and closing of reagent bottle lids, reagent dispensing, temperature and humidity control, etc., and a structure that meets all of these requirements is desirable.

[0014] In addition, some reagents used in automated analyzers generally require stirring before use to maintain uniformity. Conventionally, to stir a reagent, a user must manually stir the reagent bottle before installation, or rely on a mixing mechanism built into the analyzer or the reagent bottle.

[0015] In contrast, in a vertically rotating reagent storage cabinet, the rotational movements required to install reagent bottles and dispense reagents are accompanied by the rocking effect of gravity and centrifugal force on the reagent liquid in the reagent bottle containers, allowing the reagent to be stirred.

[0016] Furthermore, by controlling the attitude of the reagent bottle holders that hold the reagent bottles, the rocking effect of the rotational motion is maximized, and the rotational motion performed to use each reagent bottle in the reagent storage cabinet in a normal series of analytical operations causes all of the reagent bottles that have been installed to be constantly rocked and mixed, thereby maintaining a uniform state.

[0017] Conventional horizontally rotating reagent storage cabinet configurations require a dedicated stirring unit with paddles or other devices as a reagent stirring mechanism, and stirring operations are required each time before reagent dispensing, which creates obstacles in terms of the hardware configuration and the additional operations required in the measurement cycle.

[0018] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, posture control is performed to prevent the reagent from spilling even when the opening of the reagent bottle is rotating, and the intended function appears to be achieved by connecting and supporting one point on the bottom of the reagent bottle support with an auxiliary ring. However, when considering the operations of opening and closing the cap of the reagent bottle and dispensing operations in a drum structure including a reagent bottle support, there is a concern that a structure in which the reagent bottle support is connected to both the drum and the auxiliary ring at two points may not be able to be positioned sufficiently.

[0019] Furthermore, if the opening of the reagent bottle is always left open so that opening and closing the cap of the reagent bottle is not required, it may be necessary to control the rotation speed to a certain level or below to prevent the reagent liquid from splashing due to the rotation, which may become a rate-limiting condition for the processing capacity of the analyzer.

[0020] Furthermore, stricter temperature and humidity control will be required inside the storage container to prevent evaporation of the reagent solution from the opening, and it is conceivable that the expiration date of the reagent inside the device after opening may be limited.

[0021] As described above, the adoption of a vertically rotating reagent storage cabinet in an automatic analyzer makes it possible to effectively use the vertical space within the device and reduce the reagent storage cabinet's share of the device's installation area, but it becomes necessary to control the attitude of the reagent bottle holder as the device rotates vertically.

[0022] In this case, if the reagent bottle does not have a cap, it is necessary to control the rotation speed so that the solution in the reagent bottle does not splash due to the rotation, and it is also necessary to block the opening of the reagent bottle with a structure on the device's mechanism to prevent evaporation, etc., so there are limitations and concerns about actively utilizing the rocking effect of the rotation.

[0023] Therefore, an embodiment of the automatic analyzer and container storage will be described using Figures 1 to 12. Hereinafter, the upward direction when the automatic analyzer 1 is installed will be defined as the upper side (top), the downward direction will be defined as the lower side (bottom), the side accessed by the operator of the automatic analyzer 1 will be defined as the front side (front), the opposite side will be defined as the rear side (rear), the right side when viewing the automatic analyzer 1 from the front will be defined as the right side (right), and the left side will be defined as the left side (left). However, the location of the host computer in Figure 1 is not specified.

[0024] First, the overall configuration of the automatic analyzer will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view that schematically shows the overall configuration of the automatic analyzer.

[0025] The automatic analyzer 1 is equipped with a reagent storage cabinet 2, a safety cover 3, a sample transport mechanism 4, a sample dispensing mechanism 5, a tip / reaction vessel magazine 6, a tip / reaction vessel transport mechanism 7, an incubator (reaction disk) 8, a sample dispensing tip buffer 9, a tip disposal hole 10, a bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11, a reagent dispensing arm operating mechanism 12, a reagent probe washing position 13, a reaction liquid suction / discharge probe 14, a reaction liquid washing / discharge / suction position 15, a reaction liquid stirring mechanism 16, a reaction liquid suction position 17, a detection unit 18, a reaction vessel disposal hole 19, a reaction vessel transport mechanism 20, a reagent bottle holder (hereinafter referred to as the holder) 21, a host computer (operation unit) 23, a sample dispensing tip 27, and a reaction vessel 28, all of which are arranged on a work surface 22.

[0026] The configuration of the automatic analyzer 1 is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 1, but may be an analyzer that performs analysis of various analysis items, such as a biochemical analyzer that performs analysis of biochemical analysis items, or an immunological analyzer that performs analysis of immunological analysis items.

[0027] Furthermore, the automatic analyzer 1 is not limited to a configuration having a single analysis module as shown in Figure 1, but can be configured to connect two or more analysis modules capable of measuring various identical or different analysis items and preprocessing modules that perform preprocessing via a conveying device.

[0028] The host computer 23 is connected to the devices within the automatic analyzer 1 and controls the operation of each device and mechanism within the automatic analyzer 1. The host computer 23 is a computer equipped with a CPU, memory, storage device, etc., and performs arithmetic processing to determine the concentration of a predetermined component in the sample from the detection result of the detection unit 18.

[0029] The host computer 23 controls the operation of each device based on various programs recorded in a storage device. In addition to the various programs used for measuring samples, the storage device stores various parameters input via an input device, information on the sample to be measured (such as sample type information), measurement results, etc.

[0030] The control processes for the operations executed by the host computer 23 may be integrated into one program, or may be divided into multiple programs, or may be a combination of these. Furthermore, some or all of the programs may be realized by dedicated hardware or may be modularized.

[0031] A plurality of reaction vessels 28 are arranged on the incubator 8 for mixing and reacting the sample with the reagent solution.

[0032] The sample transport mechanism 4 transports sample containers 25 placed on a sample rack 26 to a sample dispensing position. The sample containers 25 contain samples to be analyzed (biological samples such as blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid).

[0033] The sample dispensing mechanism 5 is configured to be rotatable and move up and down, and moves in an arc around the rotation axis to dispense samples from sample containers 25 placed on a sample rack 26 transported to the sample dispensing position by the sample transport mechanism 4 to reaction containers 28 on the incubator 8.

[0034] The reagent storage cabinet 2 stores reagent bottles 24 containing liquid, and includes a vertically rotating reagent storage mechanism 29 and a reagent storage lid 30 that covers the reagent storage mechanism 29. When dispensing reagent liquid 24a from a target reagent bottle 24 mounted on a holder 21 that holds one or more reagent bottles 24 containing liquid (reagent liquid 24a, see FIG. 10 , etc.), the reagent storage cabinet 2 moves the holder 21 to the top of the rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29, and is provided on the upper surface of the reagent storage mechanism 29. When dispensing the reagent, the bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11 can access the reagent bottle 24 by opening the reagent storage lid 30 and the lid of the reagent bottle 24, which the bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11 has access to.

[0035] The bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11 can be moved horizontally along the holder 21 by the reagent dispensing arm operating mechanism 12 to the position of the target reagent bottle 24 mounted on the holder 21. After opening and closing the lid of the reagent bottle 24, the bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11 aspirates the reagent liquid 24a therein and dispenses it into a reaction vessel 28 installed in the incubator 8. After that, the bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11 cleans the reagent dispensing probe at the reagent probe cleaning position 13 and moves to the next reagent dispensing process.

[0036] When the reagent dispensing operation is completed, the lid of the reagent bottle 24 and the reagent storage cabinet lid 30 are closed, and then a rotation operation is performed so that the holder 21 on which the reagent bottle 24 to be next dispensed is installed is at the top of the reagent storage cabinet 2.

[0037] In this way, the reagent storage mechanism 29 in the reagent storage cabinet 2 rotates to access a different reagent bottle 24 installed in one of the multiple holders 21 each time a reagent is dispensed. This makes it possible to simultaneously shake and stir the reagent liquid 24a in all of the reagent bottles 24 installed in the reagent storage cabinet 2 each time a reagent is dispensed.

[0038] The rotation operation of this reagent storage mechanism 29 is not limited to when accessing different holding units 21 when a reagent dispensing operation is performed. Even when reagent liquid 24a is successively dispensed from different reagent bottles 24 mounted on the same holding unit 21, the reagent storage mechanism 29 in the reagent storage cabinet 2 can be rotated after the reagent dispensing is completed, the lid of the reagent bottle 24 is closed, and the reagent liquid 24a is dispensed into the reaction vessel 28 to clean the reagent dispensing probe.

[0039] Furthermore, even when the analyzer is in a standby state and not in operation, if the reagent storage mechanism 29 is rotated periodically for a certain number of times or for a certain period of time, it may be possible to shorten the time it takes to transition from the standby state to the operating state and start the analysis operation.

[0040] In the reagent storage cabinet 2, the direction of rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29 is not limited to one direction, but can be rotated in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions to move the holder 21, on which the target reagent bottle 24 is installed, to the reagent dispensing position by the shortest distance. This makes it possible to enhance the rocking and stirring effect on the reagent liquid 24a in the reagent bottle 24 installed in the holder 21 when the rotation direction is changed, and makes it easier to maintain the reagent liquid 24a in the reagent bottle 24 in a uniform state compared to a structure that rotates in only one direction.

[0041] In this way, by constantly rotating the reagent storage mechanism 29 during the reagent dispensing process except when the bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11 is accessing the reagent bottle 24, the reagent solution 24a in the reagent bottle 24 stored in the reagent storage cabinet 2 can be maintained in a uniform state at all times. This allows reagent dispensing to be performed immediately, which is expected to eliminate the need for a separate functional unit for mixing reagents and a mixing process, as used in conventional automatic analyzers, and ultimately leads to a reduction in the installation area of ​​the device and an improvement in analytical processing capacity.

[0042] The operator places an unopened new reagent bottle 24 from the reagent input unit 40 at the installation position of an autoloader (not shown) of the reagent transport mechanism 50 , thereby installing it in the holder 21 of the reagent storage mechanism 29 .

[0043] Next, the details of the reagent storage 2 of the automatic analyzer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0044] First, an overview of the reagent storage cabinet 2 and the internal reagent storage mechanism 29 will be described using Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the reagent storage cabinet, Figure 3 is a diagram showing the reagent storage cabinet as viewed from the extension direction of the rotation axis, and Figure 4 is a diagram showing the reagent storage cabinet as viewed from the lateral direction relative to the rotation axis, showing the storage state of the reagent bottles 24 in the reagent storage cabinet 2.

[0045] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the reagent storage mechanism 29 has a plurality of holding sections 21, a horizontal shaft 31, a connecting point 32, a turntable 33, a rotation operation control unit 34, a support point 35, and a rotation support plate 36, of which the horizontal shaft 31, the connecting point 32, the turntable 33, and the rotation operation control unit 34 form a rotation device that vertically rotates one or more holding sections 21 arranged in a vertical ring.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, when the horizontal axis 31 of the reagent storage mechanism 29 is viewed from above, one holder 21 is at the upper vertex of the rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29 as the reagent dispensing position.

[0047] When the reagent storage cabinet lid 30 is opened, the cap opening / closing operations and reagent dispensing operations are performed on the reagent bottles 24 mounted on the holding section 21 located directly below, and the operator can also load the reagent bottles 24 into the holding section 21.

[0048] 2 and 4, when viewed from the extension direction of the horizontal shaft 31 of the reagent storage mechanism 29, the plurality of holders 21 are rotatably connected at equal intervals to the reagent storage mechanism 29. In this manner, it is desirable that each of the plurality of holders 21 is suspended at the vertex position of a regular polygon whose center is the rotation axis of the horizontal shaft 31, connection point 32, turntable 33, and rotation operation control unit 34.

[0049] Although FIG. 4 shows a structure in which five holding portions 21 are connected, no particular limitations are imposed on the number of holding portions 21, the connecting positions, or the connecting method.

[0050] As shown in Figure 2, etc., the side of the reagent storage mechanism 29 has a horizontal axis 31 along which rotation occurs, and a turntable 33 on either side of the holding unit 21, and the holding unit 21 is connected to this turntable 33 by a connection point 32 so that it can rotate freely.

[0051] The reagent bottles 24 are installed in the holder 21 with their caps closed and stored in a temperature-controlled reagent storage cabinet, except when the reagent storage mechanism 29 rotates to perform a reagent dispensing operation at the upper vertex position. The addresses of the reagent bottles 24 installed manually or automatically at any position in the holder 21 are recorded and managed by the host computer 23, and the rotational operation of the reagent storage mechanism 29 is controlled by a rotational operation control unit 34 so that the holder 21 in which the relevant reagent bottle 24 is installed can be quickly moved to the reagent dispensing position to perform the measurement requested by the operator.

[0052] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of the effects of gravity and centrifugal force that occur when the reagent storage mechanism 29 rotates vertically.

[0053] 5, when viewed from the extension direction of the horizontal rotation axis of the reagent storage mechanism 29, the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on the holder 21 and the reagent bottle 24 at each rotation phase as the reagent storage mechanism 29 rotates is schematically shown, and the rotational orbit due to the rotational operation and the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on the reagent bottle 24 mounted on the holder 21 and the reagent liquid therein at each rotation phase are schematically shown by arrows. Note that, for the sake of simplicity and ease of explanation, in FIG. 5, the holders 21 are shown as being arranged at 90-degree intervals around the outer periphery of the turntable 33, but the present invention is not limited to this structure.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the attitude is controlled so that the holder 21 is deflected in a direction different from the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on the holder 21 .

[0055] Specifically, when the holding portion 21, which is arranged circumferentially when viewed from the axial direction, rotates together with the reagent bottle 24, centrifugal force acts in the outer circumferential direction when the rotational movement ascends or descends at a position other than the top or bottom, and therefore the combined force of the rotational force generated by the rotational movement and gravity is applied in a direction shifted from the perpendicular direction to the bottom surface 24b of the reagent bottle 24.

[0056] Furthermore, when comparing the time of ascending and the time of descending, the reagent bottle 24 mounted on the holder 21 is inverted in the left-right direction.

[0057] Due to these effects, one rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29 causes the reagent solution 24a in the reagent bottle 24 to swing back and forth. This swinging makes it possible to agitate the reagent solution.

[0058] The effect of the rocking and stirring caused by the rotational movement of the reagent storage mechanism 29 can be controlled by parameters other than the device configuration, such as the rotation speed, the duration of the rotational movement, the frequency of the rotational movement, the reversal of the rotational direction, and the shape of the inside of the reagent bottle 24, and can be optimized to maximize the stirring effect.

[0059] Next, specific examples of the connection and support method of the holder 21 to the turntable 33 in the reagent storage mechanism 29, i.e., the support point 35 and the turntable 36 that are connected to the holder 21 and that control the attitude of the holder 21 so that it deflects in a direction different from the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on the holder 21, will be described using Figures 6 to 8. Figures 6 to 8 are diagrams showing an outline of the support structure of the holder 21, and Figure 8 is a diagram showing an outline of the support structure of the holder 21.

[0060] Figures 6 to 8 show how the posture of the holding section 21 is maintained by being rotatably connected to the turntable 33 of the reagent storage mechanism 29 at each connection point 32 vertically above the holding section 21, and being supported by at least two support points 35 spaced apart circumferentially from the center of gravity of the holding section 21 relative to the rotating support plate 36, more specifically, two support points 35 located vertically below and spaced apart horizontally.

[0061] In an automatic analyzer with high processing capacity, in order to meet the demand for accommodating a wide variety of reagent bottles 24, even in a reagent storage mechanism 29 having a vertical rotation structure such as that of this embodiment, in order to accommodate as many reagent bottles 24 as possible in the holder 21, it is conceivable that the structure of the holder 21 will become longer along the horizontal axis of the reagent storage mechanism 29.

[0062] In such a case, the posture of the holding part 21 can be controlled by providing two or more support points 35 in addition to the connection point 32, thereby suppressing the effects of twisting of the holding part 21, and operations that require high positional accuracy, such as opening and closing the lid of the reagent bottle 24 mounted on the holding part 21 and dispensing the reagent, can be performed stably.

[0063] At this time, by arranging the support points 35 at positions that are expanded in the left-right direction rather than at positions perpendicular to the connecting points 32, the attitude of the holding portion 21 can be controlled more stably.

[0064] For the connection structure on the support point 35 side, a roller structure is adopted as the support point 35 provided on the holding part 21 as shown in FIG. 7, and the opposing rotating support plate 36 has a groove 37 that receives the roller as the support point 35 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and the posture of the holding part 21 can be maintained by a cam structure consisting of a cam and a roller.

[0065] For example, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the posture of the holding unit 21 can be controlled by passing a roller installed as a support point 35 on the holding unit 21 through one of the areas of a groove 37 provided on a rotating support plate 36 included in the reagent storage mechanism 29.

[0066] For this purpose, grooves 37 are provided in the rotary support plate 36, which follow the trajectory of the rotation of the support points 35 provided on the holder 21 in accordance with the rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29. The rollers of the support points 35 provided on the side surfaces of the holder 21 are guided by the structure of the grooves 37, allowing the holder 21 to rotate while maintaining a constant posture.

[0067] Next, the difference between the conventional method and the present embodiment in the state in which the reagent solution 24a in the reagent bottle 24 is swayed by gravity and centrifugal force as the reagent storage mechanism rotates will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a diagram schematically showing the state in which the liquid in the reagent bottle 24 sways as the reagent storage mechanism of the conventional structure rotates vertically, and Figure 10 is a diagram schematically showing the state in which the liquid in the reagent bottle 24 sways as the reagent storage mechanism 29 of the present embodiment rotates vertically.

[0068] 9 and 10 schematically show the state of the holder 21 and the state of the reagent liquid inside the reagent bottles 24 mounted on the holder 21 at each phase during rotation when viewed from the extension direction of the horizontal rotation axis of the reagent storage mechanism 29. For simplicity, the state of one reagent bottle 24 in the holder 21 arranged at 90° intervals is shown, and the shape of the reagent bottle 24 is exemplified as a structure in which the movement of one reagent liquid 24a is rocked and stirred so that the state of the reagent liquid inside the reagent bottle 24 in response to the rocking operation can be easily seen.

[0069] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the holding unit 21 is rotatably connected to the turntable 33 of the reagent storage mechanism 29, and as a result, the reagent liquid in the holding unit 21 and the reagent bottle 24 oscillates along the combined force of gravity and centrifugal force during the rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29, as shown in Figure 5.

[0070] However, as shown in FIG. 9, if the holding part 21 is simply connected so as to be freely rotatable, the holding part 21 will also be shaken in the outer circumferential direction by centrifugal force as the reagent storage mechanism 29 rotates, and the reagent liquid 24a in the reagent bottle 24 will swing together with the reagent bottle 24, so that a high effect in stirring the reagent liquid cannot be expected.

[0071] 10, the reagent bottle 24 has a structure in which the reagent solution 24a inside the reagent bottle 24 can move left and right within the reagent bottle 24 due to the combined force of gravity and centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the reagent storage cabinet. By providing a narrow passage in part of the internal structure of the reagent bottle 24, a large shear stress is applied to the reagent solution when the bottle is rocked left and right, and it is thought that a large rocking force can be used to achieve a greater stirring effect.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 10, for example, when the attitude of the holder 21 is controlled to suppress the shaking, the reagent liquid inside the reagent bottle 24 shakes more greatly inside the bottle.

[0073] Next, different modes of attitude control will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 shows another state of the swaying of the liquid in the reagent bottle 24 in association with the vertical rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29, and Figure 12 shows yet another state of the swaying of the liquid in the reagent bottle 24 in association with the vertical rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 11, the holding unit 21 is posture-controlled to assume different postures depending on the phase of the rotation of the reagent storage mechanism 29, whereby the holding unit 21 is posture-controlled in the opposite direction to the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force, and the reagent liquid 24a in the reagent bottle 24 can be swung even more widely.

[0075] A structure for performing posture control as shown in FIG. 11 can be realized by providing grooves in the rotating support plate 36 that realize elliptical actuation to create a tilt at a specific phase relative to support points 35a1 and 35a2, which serve as rollers, provided on the holding portion 21.

[0076] As a further alternative, as shown in FIG. 12, a gear 41 can be provided on a rotation shaft 42 provided on the upper part of the holding part 21, and the attitude at a specific phase in the rotational movement can be controlled.

[0077] Table 1 shows typical examples of vertically rotating reagent storage cabinets with different storage methods and structures for the reagent bottles 24, and provides comparative examples of the plan view, projected area from above, area ratio based on a conventional horizontally rotating reagent disk, and volume ratio when the total number of reagent bottles 24 installed is standardized to 50.

[0078]

[0079] The vertical rotation type structure based on this embodiment is defined as vertical rotation type (1) when five holders 21 are arranged, and as vertical rotation type (2) when six holders 21 are arranged. For simplicity, the size of the reagent bottle 24 is assumed to be 18 mm wide, 80 mm deep, and 80 mm high.

[0080] As shown in Table 1, in the conventional horizontal rotation type structure, the reagent bottles 24 are mounted only on the outer periphery of the rotating reagent disk, which has the advantage of making mounting and removal easy, but results in a large installation area for the device.

[0081] On the other hand, a structure in which reagents are arranged densely both vertically and horizontally on a flat surface reduces the projected area to about one-third and does not expand vertically, so the volume of the reagent storage cabinet can be made smaller, but it is easy to imagine that the related functional units, such as the mechanisms for installing and removing reagents, become more complex and end up taking up more space.

[0082] When adopting the vertical rotation type structure according to this embodiment, by configuring the rotation mechanism to have five holders 21, each of which can hold 10 reagent bottles 24, the projected area is minimized and the volume ratio can also be reduced compared to conventional types.

[0083] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0084] The automatic analyzer 1 of this embodiment comprises a holding unit 21 on which a reagent bottle 24 containing a liquid is placed, a horizontal axis 31 that rotates one or more holding units 21 arranged vertically in a ring shape in the vertical direction, a connecting point 32, a turntable 33, a rotational motion control unit 34, a support point 35 connected to the holding unit 21 and that controls the attitude of the holding unit 21 so that it deflects in a direction different from the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on the holding unit 21, and a rotating support unit 36.

[0085] Furthermore, the reagent storage 2 for the reagent bottles 24 containing liquid in this embodiment includes a holder 21 on which the reagent bottle 24 is placed, a horizontal shaft 31 that rotates the holders 21, one or more of which are arranged in a vertical ring, in the vertical direction, a connection point 32, a turntable 33, a rotational motion control unit 34, a support point 35 that is connected to the holder 21 and controls the attitude of the holder 21 so that it deflects in a direction different from the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on the holder 21, and a rotating support table 36.

[0086] With this configuration, in a vertically rotating reagent storage cabinet that can reduce the installation area of ​​an automatic analyzer, reagents can be constantly stirred as the reagent storage cabinet rotates, thereby maintaining a uniform state at all times. This provides benefits such as shortening the reagent stirring process that was previously performed with conventional stirring units and reducing the number of mechanical units.In addition, since the attitude of the holding unit 21 that stores the reagent bottles 24 can be controlled while rotating, it is possible to accurately open and close the caps of the reagent bottles 24 mounted on 21, thereby achieving stable and highly accurate reagent dispensing.

[0087] Furthermore, the holding portion 21 is supported relative to the rotating support plate 36 at at least two points spaced apart circumferentially from the center of gravity of the holding portion 21. In particular, the holding portion 21 is supported relative to the rotating support plate 33 at one point vertically above, and relative to the rotating support plate 36 at two points vertically below and spaced apart horizontally, thereby enabling more stable posture control to be achieved.

[0088] Furthermore, the support point 35 and the rotating support plate 36 have rollers and grooves 37, and the holding portion 21 is connected to the support point 35 and the rotating support plate 36 via rollers placed in the grooves 37, thereby controlling the posture, which makes it possible to simplify the support mechanism on the rotating mechanism side compared to a structure in which the support point 35 and the rotating support plate 36 are directly connected.

[0089] In addition, the device is provided with multiple holding parts 21, and each of the multiple holding parts 21 is suspended and arranged at the vertex positions of a regular polygon centered on the rotation axis of the horizontal axis 31, connecting point 32, turntable 33, and rotation operation control unit 34, thereby allowing more holding parts 21 to be stably arranged.

[0090] Furthermore, the reagent storage mechanism 29 is provided with a reagent storage cabinet 2 that houses the holding section 21, horizontal axis 31, connecting point 32, turntable 33, rotation operation control section 34, support point 35, and rotary support cabinet 36, and a bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11 that dispenses liquid.A reagent storage cabinet lid 30 is provided on the top surface of the reagent storage mechanism 29, and is accessed by the bottle lid opening / closing / reagent dispensing mechanism 11 when dispensing liquid, thereby making it possible to create a structure that allows easy access when dispensing reagents.

[0091] <Others> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and combinations within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to those having all of the configurations described in the above-described embodiments, and includes those in which some of the configurations are omitted.

[0092] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Automated analyzer 2...Reagent storage cabinet (refrigerated cabinet, container storage cabinet) 3...Safety cover 4...Sample transport mechanism 5...Sample dispensing mechanism 6...Tip / reaction vessel magazine 7...Tip / reaction vessel transport mechanism 8...Incubator 9...Sample dispensing tip buffer 10...Tip disposal hole 11...Bottle lid opening / closing and reagent dispensing mechanism (dispensing mechanism) 12...Reagent dispensing arm operating mechanism 13...Reagent probe washing position 14...Reaction liquid suction / discharge probe 15...Reaction liquid washing / discharge / suction position 16...Reaction liquid stirring mechanism 17...Reaction liquid suction position 18...Detection unit 19...Reaction vessel disposal hole 20...Reaction vessel transport mechanism 21...Holding unit 22...Work surface 23...Host computer (operation unit) 24...Reagent bottle 24a...Reagent liquid 24b...Bottom surface 25...Sample vessel 26...Sample rack 27...Sample dispensing tip 28...Reaction vessel 29...Reagent storage mechanism DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30: Reagent storage cabinet lid (opening) 31: Horizontal shaft (rotating device) 32: Connection point (rotating device) 33: Rotating disk (rotating device) 34: Rotation operation control section (rotating device) 35, 35a1, 35a2: Support point (posture control section, roller) 36: Rotating support disk (posture control section) 37: Groove 40: Reagent input section 41: Gear 42: Rotating shaft 50: Reagent transport mechanism

Claims

1. An automatic analyzer comprising: a holder for placing a container for holding a liquid; a rotation device for vertically rotating one or more of said holders arranged in a vertical ring; and an attitude control unit connected to said holder, which controls the attitude of said holder so that it deflects in a direction different from the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on said holder.

2. An automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the holder is supported by the attitude control unit at least at two points spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the center of gravity of the holder.

3. An automatic analyzer according to claim 2, wherein the holding unit is supported by the rotating device at one point vertically above, and is supported by the posture control unit at two points vertically below and spaced apart horizontally.

4. An automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the posture control unit has a roller and a groove, and the posture of the holding unit is controlled by being connected to the posture control unit via the roller placed in the groove.

5. An automatic analyzer according to claim 2, comprising a plurality of said holding parts, each of said plurality of holding parts being suspended and arranged at a vertex position of a regular polygon centered on the rotation axis of said rotating device.

6. An automatic analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising a refrigerator that houses the holding unit, the rotation device, and the attitude control unit, and a dispensing mechanism that dispenses the liquid, wherein an opening is provided on the top surface of the refrigerator for access by the dispensing mechanism when dispensing the liquid.

7. A storage facility for containers that hold liquids, comprising: a holding unit for placing the container; a rotation device for vertically rotating one or more of the holding units arranged in a vertical ring; and an attitude control unit connected to the holding unit, which controls the attitude of the holding unit so that it deflects in a direction different from the resultant force of gravity and centrifugal force acting on the holding unit.

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