JPH044209Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Industrial application field This invention relates to a flow analysis device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flow analyzer having a supply means for a sample liquid, a calibration liquid, a cleaning liquid, etc., and a flow channel set by a suction means.

(B) Prior Art Various types of clinical analyzers using flow channels are known, and are particularly widely used as devices for measuring various electrolyte concentrations in blood. In such a flow analyzer, the liquid is transferred in the flow channel by driving a suction means such as a suction pump connected to the subsequent stage, and the calibration liquid, cleaning liquid,
In order to automatically introduce air, etc., a straight selective supply pipe with branch pipes that can switch and introduce these into the flow channel is connected to the front stage of the flow channel, and is usually connected to a so-called manifold. It is set using. A typical example of such a conventional blood electrolyte measuring device is shown in FIG. In the figure, a linear selective supply pipe 6 is composed of a manifold 7 and has branch pipes 2, 3, 4 for introducing a sample liquid, a calibration liquid, and a cleaning liquid, and has one end connected to an air inlet 5.
The selective supply pipe 6 is normally connected to the flow channel 10 so that its axial direction is horizontal. and according to a predetermined sequence,
Any one of the on-off valves 21, 31, 41, and 51 is selectively opened, and the sample liquid 21, the calibration liquid 32, and the cleaning liquid 4 are
2 and air are introduced into the flow channel 10 for a predetermined period of time, and measurement, calibration, cleaning, liquid separation, etc. are performed in the flow analysis section 8 equipped with an ion sensor 81 attached downstream.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention However, in the above-mentioned flow analyzer, when liquid is supplied, due to piping resistance of the flow path, the air inlet of the manifold 7 is closed as shown in Fig. 5. It is easy to entrain residual air in the vicinity and bring in air bubbles, which causes large noise during measurement as shown in FIG. 6, which is a major cause of measurement errors.

This invention was made in view of the above situation, and is particularly intended to provide a flow analyzer in which air bubbles are prevented from being mixed in the selective supply pipe.

(d) Means for solving the problem According to this invention, sample liquid, calibration liquid,
a linear selective supply pipe having a plurality of branch pipes into which cleaning liquid etc. can be introduced and into which air can be introduced from one end; a flow channel connected to the other end of the selective supply pipe and extending to the suction means; and a flow analysis section attached downstream of the flow channel, and the selective supply pipe is set substantially vertically and connected to the flow channel at its upper end. be done.

This idea allows the selection supply pipe at the front stage of a flow analyzer that has a suction transfer type flow channel to be
Its most distinctive feature is that it is located approximately vertically and is connected to the flow channel at its upper end.

(E) Function The flow analyzer of this invention is configured such that the selective supply pipe, such as a manifold, is set vertically and the sample liquid, calibration liquid, cleaning liquid, etc. are transferred from the bottom to the top. Therefore, when the liquid is supplied, the liquid is difficult to mix with the residual air in the air near the air inlet located below, and gradually fills this air as it rises and is supplied to the flow channel.

(F) Embodiment FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of an example of the flow analysis device of this invention. In the figure, a flow analysis device 1 includes a manifold 7 upstream of a flow path 10 connected to a suction pump 9, and a flow analysis section 8 having an ion sensor 81 downstream. The manifold 7 has a selective supply pipe 6 consisting of a linear pipe line in the center and a plurality of branch pipes 2, 3, and 4 connected orthogonally to this supply pipe 6, and the pipe axis of the supply pipe 6 is vertical. It is arranged as follows.
An air inlet 5 is set at the lower end. Branch pipe 2, 3,
4 are connected to a sample liquid tank 22, a calibration liquid tank 32, and a cleaning liquid tank 42 through pipe lines via on-off valves 21, 31, and 41, respectively. In addition, the air inlet 5 is an on-off valve 51
It is connected to the air intake port 52 via.

In such a flow analyzer 1, for example, when the on-off valve 41 is opened and the cleaning liquid is introduced into the flow channel 10, the supply pipe 6 is set vertically and the air inlet is set at the lower end, so that the air inlet shown in FIG. First, the cleaning liquid fills the air around the air inlet, and then smoothly flows into the supply pipe 6 from the bottom as shown in Figure 2B.
The liquid rises inside and is supplied to the flow channel 10 (○ indicates open, × indicates closed). Therefore, the contamination of air bubbles during liquid switching and measurement, which occurs in conventional flow analyzers as shown in Figure 4, is prevented [see Figure 7; calibration solution (KC4 mmol, NaC
Results of continuous measurement of 140 mmol/) using a potassium ion-selective electrode].

Note that the selective supply pipe with branch pipes is not limited to one in which multiple branch pipes are connected from one direction to a straight pipe as described above, but also one in which multiple branch pipes are connected from multiple directions as shown in Fig. 3. It may be determined as appropriate depending on the type of introduced liquid used.

(g) Effects of the invention The flow analyzer of this invention uses a specific selective supply pipe as the supply section for the sample liquid, calibration liquid, cleaning liquid, etc., which prevents air bubbles from entering when the liquid flows in and improves the measurement flow path. Measurement errors due to bubble noise, which are often observed in various measurement systems that use a manifold or the like in the system, can be prevented or controlled. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for application to a flow-type blood electrolyte concentration measuring device that targets a trace amount of sample.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram illustrating the flow analyzer of this invention, Figs. 2 A and B are explanatory diagrams showing the liquid introduction state in an embodiment, and Fig. 3 is another embodiment of the main part of this invention. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are views corresponding to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 B, respectively, illustrating a conventional flow analyzer. FIG. The figure is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 6 in an embodiment of this invention. 1... Flow analyzer, 2, 3, 4... Branch pipe, 5... Air inlet, 6... Selective supply section, 7...
...Manifold, 8...Flow analysis section, 9...Suction pump, 10...Flow channel, 21, 31, 4
1, 51...Opening/closing valve, 22...Sample liquid tank, 32...
... Calibration liquid tank, 42 ... Cleaning liquid tank, 52 ... Air intake port, 81 ... Ion sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A linear selective supply pipe that is equipped with a plurality of branch pipes into which sample liquid, calibration liquid, washing liquid, etc. can be introduced, and into which air can be introduced from one end, and a linear selective supply pipe that is connected to the other end of the selective supply pipe and extends to the suction means. and a flow analysis section attached downstream of the flow channel, and characterized in that the selective supply pipe is set substantially vertically and is connected to the flow channel at its upper end. flow analyzer.