JPH0235367A - Sample supply method for analysis - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for supplying a sample for analysis, and is particularly suitable for use when a liquid sample is dispensed from a sample container of an automatic analyzer to a reaction container. This invention relates to a method for supplying samples.

[Background of the invention]

Conventionally, the sample supply device used in automatic analyzers is
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, sample containers 2 are arranged on a sample table 1, rotated around a rotation axis 3 in the direction of an arrow 5, and the sample containers 2 are sequentially moved to a sample viewing position 4 of an automatic analyzer. The most common method is to move the sample and separate the sample to be measured. Assuming that the state shown in Figure 1 is the reference position for starting analysis, the sample container 6 located at the sample suction position 4 is a sample container for holding a blank sample used for zero point adjustment during automatic analyzer calibration. The sample container 7 is a sample container for holding a standard sample used for gain adjustment. The following sample containers 8 and below are sample containers for storing the sample to be measured. Analytical measurements are started and normal samples in sample containers 8 or smaller are taken one by one. In this case, the separation conditions for normal samples in sample containers 8 or smaller, such as the amount to be collected and analysis items, are determined in advance. and sorted accordingly. Therefore, for the same sample, one sample was taken for each measurement item.

However, recently, enzyme immunoassay (immune reaction method)
In this case, it is desirable to measure the same sample multiple times, but some conventional analyzers automatically perform multiple preparative separations for specific analysis items of the same sample. It was difficult.

A structure for positioning a sample table related to the prior art shown in FIG. 1 is shown in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 51-161839. In this example, the sample containers are arranged on the second disk, a code plate is provided that rotates integrally with the disk, and the code plate has a plurality of samples arranged in the radial direction connecting the center of rotation and the points obtained by equally dividing the circumference of a plurality of circles with different radii. A configuration is shown in which a row of holes is formed and coded, and rotation angle information is obtained by a code signal consisting of output turns of a plurality of light receiving elements corresponding to each row of holes.

According to this example, a large number of holes must be provided in the code plate so that code signals can be obtained corresponding to each sample container in the disk, and a large number of light receiving elements must also be used. Moreover, this actual year 51. No. 1.61839 also does not disclose a specific configuration for automatically performing multiple fractional separations for specific analysis items of the same sample.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a sample supply device that enables multiple collections of the same sample placed on a sample table by simply inputting position information. .

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention provides a sample holding rotary table capable of arranging a plurality of sample containers, a detection plate formed with a detection hole for positioning the rotary table and driven together with the rotary table;
In the analytical sample supply method for positioning the rotary table using a detector that detects the detection holes, the detection plate has a plurality of detection holes corresponding to each sample container that can be placed on the rotary table. are formed on the same circumference, and a single reference detection hole for reference positioning is formed at a distance from the circumference. When it is necessary to sample the sample, input the sample position information on the rotary table for that sample from the input device as a continuous sequence number and store it in the storage unit, and the sample read out from this storage unit in the order of the sequence number. When the position information is the same multiple times in a row, the rotary table remains stopped, the sample collection operation is repeated for the specified number of times using the sample suction probe, and the sample collection operation for the specified number of times is performed. After the separation is completed, position the sample container on the rotary table based on the signal based on the number of detection holes on the circumference using the reference detection hole as a reference, and stop the next sample container at the sample separation position. , is characterized by.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows a side sectional view of an embodiment of the invention. The sample table 9 is fixed to an outer cylinder 20, and the outer cylinder 20 is fixed to an inner cylinder 21. An inner cylinder 21 with bearings 22 and 23 is fixed to a base 24.

A detection plate 25 is fixed to the outer cylinder 20, and a gear 26 is attached to the outer periphery of the outer cylinder 20. A gear 27 is fixed to the shaft of a motor 28 fixed to the base 24, and is connected to the gear 26 to transmit the rotation of the motor 28 to the sample table 9. The detector 29.30 has a metal fitting 31.3 fixed to the base 24.
2 are held respectively.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the relationship between the detection plate 25 and the detectors 29 and 30. The detectors 29 and 30 are optical position detectors (photosensors), and detect the detection holes 33 and 34 of the detection plate 25'', respectively. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the sample table 9, in which 40 sample containers can be installed in the sample container row 43''. First, when the sample to be separated comes to the sample suction position 1], the sample table 9 stops.

Assuming that the sample container] 3 is now at the sample suction position 11,
The sample suction probe 7 is rotated by a rotation device 18,
It descends with the sample container 13. Then pump 1 the required sample amount.
After inhaling by the operation of 9, the sample suction probe 17
After moving again and discharging into the reaction vessel 45 of the reaction line, the sample is cleaned by the cleaning tank 46 and moved to the sample table 9 side again to suck in the next sample. If the number of fractions to be sampled from the sample container 13 is input as multiple times, the sample table is stopped until the fractions are sampled.

Next, the relationship between the detection hole shown in FIG. 3 and the sample container shown in FIG. 4 will be described. There is one detection hole 33 for reference positioning, and it is used to determine the reference position of the sample table 9. In other words, when the detection hole 33 passes the detector 29, the detector 30
If the position of the detection hole 34 located at the position is set as the reference position of the sample table 9, and the sample container located at the sample suction position 11 is set as the container at the reference position, then the second container of the sample container row 43'' is placed in order from the reference container. can be distinguished. Here, the second hole of the detection hole row 44 and the container on the sample container row 43 are paired with one another.
, so that if the detection hole advances by one pitch, the sample container also advances by one pitch.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control system of this embodiment.

The central processing unit 35 operates according to a program stored in the storage device 40 (ROM).

Now, when the type of sample, the order of sample collection, the position on the sample table, and the measurement items are entered using the key input device 38, the central processing unit 1135 stores this information in the storage device 4.1 (RA).
M) and displayed on the display device 39. now,
If you wish to measure each analysis item of the same sample multiple times, after entering the above input, enter the next sample collection order, the position of the sample, and the analysis item.

If the same procedure is repeated thereafter, each analysis item of the same sample can be measured multiple times. Here, the type of sample refers to a blank sample for analyzer calibration, a standard sample, and an ordinary sample, and the analysis item can be either a main item or multiple items, and if there are multiple items, the number of rotations is equal to the number of items. device] 8 and pump 19 will be operated.

Once the sample collection information for each sample has been input as described in 2 below, the analyzer is activated and analysis begins. First, the central processing unit 35 reads the sample information stored in the storage device 4], and the sample container at the position on the sample table input for the youngest sample in the order of sample collection is the sample suction position]- ] - Rotate the sample table 9 so that it is at -.

In other words, the central processing unit monitors the position of the sample container on the sample table 9 by receiving signals from the detectors 29 and 30 through the detection receiving device 37, and determines whether a predetermined sample container is located at the sample suction position 11.
When the sample table 9 is reached, the motor 28 is stopped and the sample table 9 is stopped at a predetermined position.

Next, the rotating device 18 is rotated to lower the sample suction probe 17 into the sample container, and the pump 19 sucks in a certain amount of the sample. After inhalation, the rotating device 18 is rotated to the reaction container 45 and the sample is discharged into the reaction container 45. Post-discharge rotation device 18
is rotated to the cleaning tank 46 to clean the sample suction probe. However, if there are multiple analysis items for the same sample, the probe is not washed, but the probe is washed after discharging the last item into the measurement container and before aliquoting the next sample. When the fractionation of one sample is completed, the central processing unit 35 controls the fractionation operation of the next sample.

If the position of this sample is the same as that of the previous sample, the sample table 9 does not rotate and remains at the same location. Then, in this state, separate the sample in the same manner as in duplicate. Thereafter, samples are collected in the same manner according to the input order of sample collection. Sample collection ends automatically when an analysis item comes in the order that has not been input, and continues to stop until a restart signal is received from the analyzer.

Further, a reaction reagent is added to the sample injected into each reaction container 45 and then measured, and the results are outputted by the printer 42.

FIG. 6 shows the method of controlling the sample supply device in this embodiment using flowcharts 1 to 1. First, the sample supply device starts in the same way as the analyzer starts from star 1, and the sample information input to the sample separation sequence is stored in the storage device 4.
1 is read out.

If the sample information necessary for preparative separation, such as analysis items and sample table position information, is entered, it is checked whether the sample table needs to be rotated and the sample to be separated is placed in the preparative position. If not, rotate the sample table and rotate the sample to the separation position.

If the sample to be separated is in the separation position, it will not rotate.

This means that the number of times the same sample is separated can be arbitrarily determined by inputting the same position information as the sample position information entered in the sequence type for subsequent sequence numbers. . Next, the sample is separated according to the input sample information. -The analysis items per sample may be a single item or multiple items. In general, the amount to be collected differs depending on the item, but in any case, the collection for one sample is repeated until the collection for all input analysis items is completed.

- Once the specified number of fractions for the sample have been completed, the sample suction probe is cleaned and fractionation is performed for the next sequence number, so the sequence number is incremented by one and the process returns to star 1 - as described above. Repeat this operation until the sample information is no longer available. If sample information corresponding to the sequence number is not input, the sample supply device stops operating the sample table and waits until the next start command is received from the analyzer.

According to the embodiment of the present invention as described in 2 below, the same sample can be easily sampled multiple times by inputting the sample information.

In the above example, the fractionation operation is repeated as many times as the number of measurement items per sample, but if the volume of each fraction is equal to the number of measurement items, then all the measurement items can be covered by one fractionation. The measurement time of the analyzer can be shortened. In addition, in the double series embodiment, the sample table has one row of sample containers, but it is also possible to have multiple rows of sample containers.In this case, many samples can be placed on the sample table at the same time, and the sample supply device is small. leading to

〔Effect of the invention〕

As can be seen from the above explanation, according to the present invention, the same sample can be separated multiple times with a relatively simple configuration and operation, so analysis methods that require the same sample to be separated multiple times can be automatically performed. can be implemented, reducing operator effort.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a sample supply device according to the prior art, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the relationship between the rotation stop position detection plate and the detector. Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating the movement and separation method of the sample on the sample table, Figure 5 is a block diagram of the control system of the embodiment shown in Figure 2, and Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the control method of the sample supply device. Flowchart 1・
It is. 9... Sample table, 10. 13-16... Sample container, 17... Sample suction probe, 25. Detection plate, 29° 30. Detector, 33. 34... Detection hole, 38... Key Input device, 45...reaction container.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Using a rotary table for holding a sample that can arrange a plurality of sample containers, a detection plate in which a detection hole for positioning the rotary table is formed and is driven together with the rotary table, and a detector for detecting the detection hole. In the analytical sample supply method for positioning the rotary table, the detection plate has a plurality of detection holes formed on the same circumference, each corresponding to each sample container that can be placed on the rotary table. In addition to forming a single reference detection hole for reference positioning at a distance from the above circumference, input when it is necessary to separate the same sample into a reaction container multiple times for the same analysis item. Entering sample position information on the rotary table for that sample from the device using consecutive sequence numbers and storing it in the storage unit, and inputting the same sample position information read out from the storage unit in sequence number order multiple times in a row. , the rotary table remains in a stopped state, the sample collection operation is repeated for the specified number of times using the sample suction probe, and after the specified number of sample collections are completed, The sample container is positioned on the rotary table based on a signal based on the number of detection holes on the circumference using the reference detection hole as a reference, and the next sample container is stopped at the sample collection position. A sample supply method for analysis.