Abstract:
An automatic analyzer is disclosed that includes a supplementary reagent storage section and reagent bottle transfer mechanism besides an analysis reagent storage section, and that, by managing information on reagents stored in these two reagent storage sections, is capable of automating reagent management such as reagent replacing work, thereby reducing the burden on an operator, minimizing the interruption of an analysis due to reagent registration and reagent replacement, mounting many reagents thereon, and achieving a high throughput.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer that automatically performs a qualitative/quantitative analysis of a biological sample such as blood, urine, or the like, and more particularly to an automatic analyzer capable of mounting many reagents, and having a high throughput. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the field of automatic analysis, a random access type automatic analyzer, which uses a plurality of reaction lines at random, has been developed, and it has brought about a dramatic improvement in processing capability of analysis. With this improvement, the consumption of reagents has speeded up, and opportunities to replace reagents have increased. Automatic analyzers commonly used are of a type in which a plurality of reagent containers are placed on a rotating disk referred to as a reagent disk, and in which, by rotating the reagent disk, an intended reagent is dispensed from an intended reagent container using a reagent dispensing probe. Among these automatic analyzers, Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 2503751 discloses an automatic analyzer in which, with a view to preventing the interruption of an analysis due to the deficiency of a reagent, a plurality of reagent containers each of which contains a kind of reagent that is to be used a lot are set on the reagent disk so that, when one of the reagent containers becomes deficient in the reagent, the reagent can be dispensed from another of the reagent containers. Also, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-310643 discloses an automatic analyzer in which, at the time of replacing a reagent, information on the expiration date of the reagent after the start of its usage is set, and the elapsed time from the start of the usage of the reagent exceeds its expiration date, an alarm is issued. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the conventional art, an operator must perform various work, such as the setting of a reagent before an analysis, the checking of a remaining reagent amount, and the registration of the reagent if the reagent is not subjected to barcode management. Even in the event that the operator uses a system such that an apparatus manages a reagent for the operator once he/she has set the reagent into a reagent storage under a reagent barcode management, if depletion of the reagent occurs in course of analysis, it is necessary for the operator to interrupt the analysis, prepare for a new reagent bottle, set it in the reagent storage, and further perform reagent registration work if required. Moreover, in the case of an apparatus having a plurality of reagent storages in order to increase the amount of mountable reagents, or a system of which the capability of analysis processing varies depending on the disposition of reagents in its reagent storage, the operator must unfavorably manage even the disposition of reagents. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic analyzer that reduces the burden imposed on the operator, such as reagent registration and reagent replacement work, that does not cause a deficiency in reagent during analysis, and that minimize the interruption of an analysis. 
     In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides an automatic analyzer that includes a first reagent container storage section capable of storing a plurality of reagent containers; a reagent dispensing mechanism for dispensing a reagent from a reagent container stored in the first reagent container storage section; a second reagent container storage section capable of storing a plurality of reagent containers; and a reagent container transfer mechanism capable of transferring a reagent container selected from among reagent containers stored in the second reagent container storage section, to the first reagent container storage section. Herein, based on a preset priority, the reagent container transfer mechanism transfers a reagent container from the second reagent container storage section to the first reagent container storage section. 
     The above-described preset priority in reagent movement may be determined based on the descending order of the difference between the previously stored amount of a reagent necessary for the start of an analysis and the remaining amount of the reagent present in the reagent storage means. 
     Also, the priority may be registered by the operator. In this case, it is desirable that a display unit capable of displaying a registration screen be provided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of an automatic analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a table showing the priority of reagent introduction according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of the reagent introduction according to the embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart including a calculation example of remaining reagent amount. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, the automatic analyzer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of an automatic analyzer according to the embodiment of the present invention. Reaction vessels  35  are arranged along the circumference of a reaction disk  36  on a cabinet  62 . A reagent disk  42  is disposed inside the reaction disk  36 , while a reagent disk  41  is disposed outside the reaction disk  36 . On each of the reagent disks  41  and  42 , a plurality of reagent containers  40  can be mounted along the circumference thereof. One reagent container  40  accommodates two reagents. In the vicinity of the reaction disk  36 , there is provided a transfer mechanism  12  for moving a rack  11  having sample containers  10  mounted thereon. Rails  25  and  26  are provided above the reagent disks  41  and  42 . To the rail  25  there are provided reagent probes  20  and  21  movable in the direction parallel to the rail  25  and in the up-and-down direction. Also, to the rail  26 , there are provided reagent probes  22  and  23  movable in three-axis directions with respect the rail  26 . The reagent probes  20 ,  21 ,  22 , and  23  are connected to respective reagent pumps (not shown). Sample probes  15  and  16  that are each rotatable and movable in the vertical direction are disposed between the reaction vessels  35  and the transfer mechanism  12 . The sample probes  15  and  16  are connected to respective sample pumps (not shown). Around the reaction disk  36 , there are provided stirrers  30  and  31 , a light source  50 , detection optical unit  51 , a vessel cleaning mechanism  45 . The vessel cleaning mechanism  45  is connected to a cleaning pump (not shown). A cleaning port  54  is provided within the operating range of each of the sample probes  15  and  16 , the reagent probes  20 ,  21 ,  22 , and  23 , and the stirrers  30  and  31 . A supplementary reagent storage  71  is disposed on the reagent disk  41 . The supplementary reagent storage  71  can mount a plurality of reagent containers. A rail  72  is provided above the supplementary reagent storage  71 . To the rail  72 , there are provided a reagent holding mechanism  73  and a reagent cap opening mechanism  74  movable in the three-directions with respect to the rail  72 . A loading gate  75  for reagent container  40  is provided forward of the supplementary reagent storage  71 . In the vicinity of the loading gate  75  for reagent container  40 , there is provided a barcode reader  76  for reading a reagent barcode. A waste vent  77  for disposing of reagent caps and used reagent containers  40  is disposed in the vicinity of the supplementary reagent storage  71 . The sample pump, reagent pump, and cleaning pump, which are not shown, and the detection optical unit  51 , reaction vessel  35 , reagent disk  41 , reagent probes  20 ,  21 ,  22 , and  23 , sample probes  15  and  16 , reagent holding mechanism  73 , reagent cap opening mechanism  74 , reagent container loading gate  75  are each connected to a controller  60 . 
     An analysis procedure will be described below. 
     Before entering the analysis, firstly the maintenance of the apparatus is performed. In the maintenance, besides the checking of the detection optical unit  51 , the cleaning of the reaction vessels  35 , and the cleaning of various probes such as the sample probes  15  and  16 , the most important matter is the checking of a reagent in each of the reagent containers  40  mounted on the reagent disks  41  and  42 . Regarding information on the reagent containers  40 , the mounted positions of reagents in the reagent containers  40 , lot numbers expiration dates, remaining reagent amounts, and the like are stored in a control computer  200 . The operator checks conditions of reagent containers in the reagent disks  41  and  42  by CRT  201  or the like. Reagents of which the remaining amount is slight and which might become empty in course of analysis in a day are set in the loading gate  75  for the reagent container  40 . The set reagents have the reagent information thereon read by the barcode reader  76 , and then transferred to the supplementary reagent storage  71  by the reagent holding mechanism  73 . The reagent information read and the information on the mounted positions of the reagents in the supplementary reagent storage  71  is outputted to the control computer  200 . 
     Next, a method for transferring a reagent from the supplementary reagent storage  71  to the reagent disk  41  or  42  is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The supplementary reagent storage  71  can mount a plurality of reagents. The present apparatus causes the control computer  200  to previously store the reagent and the reagent amount necessary for an analysis start, which are stored in the apparatus in advance. One possible method for causing the control computer  200  to store them is to input them through the control computer  200 . Alternatively, the apparatus may cause an external storage medium to store them. Also, in accordance with its frequency of usage, the present apparatus can also automatically change the reagent and reagent amount that are stored, based on the determination of itself. Using the reagent and reagent amount that are stored in advance, the present apparatus introduces the reagent, for example, in accordance with the priority shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  shows an example of calculation of the priority of a reagent indispensable to the start of analysis. As shown in  FIG. 4 , firstly the operator instructs the apparatus to introduce a reagent (step  109 ). The apparatus calculates the difference between the reagent amount necessary for the analysis start that has been stored in advance and the amount of the reagent that is present in the reagent disks  41  and  42  (steps  110  and  111 ).  FIG. 3  is a flowchart of the introduction of a reagent. The present apparatus calculates the priority of a reagent to be introduced from the supplementary reagent storage  71  after being subjected to instruction to introduce the reagent (step  102 ). Thereafter, the apparatus checks whether there is a vacant position in the reagent disks  41  and  42  (step  103 ). If there is no vacant position, the pertinent reagent stays in the supplementary reagent storage  71  until the condition in step  108  shown in  FIG. 3  occurs (step  107 ). Conversely, if there is a vacant position in the reagent arrangement position in the reagent disk  41  or  42  with respect to the condition in step  103 , the present apparatus transfers the pertinent reagent from the supplementary reagent storage  71  to the reagent disk  41  or  42  by the reagent holding mechanism  73  (step  104 ). After completing the transfer, if there is still a reagent to be further transferred to the reagent disk, in the supplementary reagent storage  71  (step  105 ), the apparatus repeats the flows in step  103  and the steps thereafter. If there is no reagent in the supplementary reagent storage  71 , the processing operation is ended (step  106 ). 
     The sample container  10  is charged with an object to be examined, such as blood, and after being mounted onto the rack, is conveyed by the transfer mechanism  12 . The sample taken by the sample probe  15  is dispensed in a definite amount into reaction vessels  35  arranged on the reaction disk  36 , and then a definite amount of regent is dispensed thereinto from the reagent container  40  disposed on the reagent disk  41  or  42 , through the reagent probes  21  or  22 . This mixture is stirred by the stirrers  30  and  31 , and after undergoing a reaction for a definite time, it is measured by the detection optical unit  51 . The measurement results are outputted to the control computer  200 . If there is a request to further add measurement items, the above-described sampling operation is repeated. Likewise, regarding all samples on the rack  11 , the above-described sampling operation is repeated until the sampling with respect to the set measurement items is completed. 
     As is evident from the foregoing, since the automatic analyzer according to the present invention includes supplementary reagent storage means and reagent bottle transfer means besides analysis reagent storage mean, it is possible to reduce the burden, such as reagent management, imposed on the operator, minimize the interruption of an analysis due to reagent registration and reagent replacement, mount many reagent thereon, and realize a high throughput.