JPH0769331B2 - Co-washing method for pipelines in analyzers, etc. - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to an analyzer for chemistry of various solutions, medical analyzers, etc., and particularly to blood, blood gas, animal body fluid, and other minute liquids. In the analysis operation, the present invention relates to a method of co-washing a sample, a standard solution, and the like with a part of the next sample in order to prevent the influence of the previous measurement sample.

(Prior art and its problems) When a sample solution or the like is continuously and automatically fed through a conduit to a measuring cell of an analyzer to perform an analysis operation, a small amount of sample or a buffering effect is generated. If the sample is small and susceptible to the effects of contaminants, complete one analysis operation and then use the standard solution for standard calibration.
When performing the next operation subsequently, before sending the sample to the pipeline, thoroughly wash and remove the previously measured sample remaining on the pipeline, and before the next measurement, So-called "co-washing" by passing a part of the sample through the pipeline
What to do is usually done.

However, in order to fully exert this effect, when the sample solution is sent from the pump and the sample is dispensed to the sample pot provided in the middle, the dispensing operation is performed intermittently, and it is introduced into the subsequent pipeline. By inserting bubbles, it is effective in removing the residue.

However, in this method, when diluting and mixing the sample solution in the sample pot, a method of simultaneously dispensing the sample solution and the diluting solution is adopted, and therefore it is possible to introduce bubbles as described above. Can not. Further, in a device such as a colorimeter that sucks and introduces the sample into the conduit by a pump, the suction nozzle at the tip of the conduit is moved up and down above the sample liquid surface to intermittently introduce bubbles into the conduit. However, this method has a drawback that it requires a mechanism for mechanically moving the nozzle up and down and that the time required for the operation is long.

(Means for Solving Problems) The present invention solves these problems and makes it possible to easily and completely perform co-washing of a conduit in an analyzer, the inside of a measurement cell, and the like. At least one of the flow of the sample liquid during the liquid feeding process by branching the air transportation pipe into the sample transportation pipe
In addition to the above locations, means for feeding air as air bubbles from the air transportation pipe, means for controlling the feeding amount of the sample liquid and the feeding amount of air to an appropriate value, and the final feeding after feeding the sample liquid A tube for an analyzer, etc., which is equipped with means for drawing the sample liquid on the feeding side into a part of the air transportation pipeline after the bubbles have been introduced, so that the influence of the previous sample can be removed easily and completely. It provides a method of co-washing the road.

(Example) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example in which the method for co-washing a conduit according to the present invention is applied to a high-speed electrolyte analyzer.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a sample pot, in which a sample solution or a calibration standard solution is passed through a conduit 2 and a measurement flow cell 3
And each liquid is sucked by the tube pump 4,
The liquid that has circulated, has been measured and analyzed is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 5.

On the other hand, an air feed pump 7 is connected to the liquid feed conduit 2 following the sample pot through a branch pipe 6, and a pinch valve 8 is provided in the middle thereof.

Tube pumps are used for the pumps 4 and 7, respectively, and the air feeding pump 7 is a reversible pump, and has a structure capable of suction.

Detection electrodes 9, 10 and 11 are inserted into the flow cell 3, and the detected electric signal is transmitted to the measuring device 12. 13 is
These are control devices for the pumps 4 and 7 and the pinch valve 8. The branch pipe 6 may be T-shaped or Y-shaped.

(Operation) The operation of the apparatus of this example is performed as follows. First, from the sample pot 1, the sample liquid that has entered the conduit 2 is sucked by the pump 4, introduced into the measurement flow cell 3, and then discharged from the discharge port 5 via the pump 4, but before the measurement, The sample solution or a part of the standard solution is passed through the conduit 2 and the measurement flow cell 3 at the time of calibration to the conduit and the measurement cell through which the cleaning liquid has been passed, and the co-washing is performed. At that time, the pump 9
From the above, a small amount of air is intermittently sent from the branch pipe 6 into the conduit 2 via the released pinch valve 8, and one or more air is introduced into the flow of the sample solution as bubbles, which is the flow of the sample solution. At the same time, it completely removes the pre-measurement liquid remaining in the conduit and the flow cell.

Immediately after the co-washing is completed and the final air bubbles are sent to the conduit 2, the main sample solution for measurement and analysis, or the standard solution for calibration is transferred from the sample pot 1 to the conduit 2. When the pump 7 is fed in, but the pump 7 is slightly reversed or the pinch valve 8 is opened and closed at that time, a small amount of the sample solution or standard solution is drawn into the branch pipe 6 and air is sent. Completely stop pay.

When performing the measurement, it is necessary to close the branch pipe for air supply as described above because air bubbles must not be mixed in the liquid, but this operation does not completely mix air bubbles. Lost.

FIG. 2 schematically shows this operating process.

That is, while showing the temporal relationship during each operation of the pumps 4 and 7 and the pinch valve 8, the suction action on the branch pipe 6 for stopping the supply of bubbles does not require the pump 7 to be reversed. Crimping and loosening of the valve portion of the branch pipe 6 by opening and closing the pinch valve 8 have the same effect in the case of a thin pipe, and thus may be performed as described above.

The respective operations of the pumps 4, 7 and the pinch valve 8 can be automatically controlled by the control device 13 as described above.

(Effect) According to the co-washing method of the present invention, the liquid existing in the co-washing liquid intermittently passes through the duct and the cell, and due to the impact stirring action at that time, the residual pre-sample liquid, etc. Since it is completely removed, and the bubble feeding at the time of co-washing is stopped at the time of measurement, the analytical measurement of a small amount of sample liquid can be performed with high accuracy without any trouble.

The measurement flow cell 4 can be applied not only to electrodes but also to colorimetric cells and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example in which the method for co-washing pipes and the like according to the present invention is applied to a high-speed electrolyte analyzer. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship over time of the operation of each pump and the pinch valve in the apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An air transport pipe is branched and connected in a pipe for transporting a sample, and in the process of transporting the sample, air is introduced from the air transport pipe as air bubbles into at least one or more places in the flow of the sample. Means, a means for controlling the flow rate of the sample and the amount of air to be fed to appropriate values, and a part of the sample on the feeding side is pneumatically transported after the final bubbles have been fed after feeding the sample. A method of co-washing a pipeline in an analyzer or the like, which is equipped with a means for drawing into the pipeline.