Automatic analyzing apparatus and method for clinical examination

Abstract: An automatic analyzing apparatus and method comprising transferring a sample to be examined to a sampling position, fractionally injecting the sample into a reaction vessel (70) by using sampling means (73), adding a reagent to the reaction vessel holding therein the sample fractionally injected to cause reaction, measuring absorbance of the reaction solution at pre­ determined time intervals by using photometry means (78), first check (33) for checking whether an abnormality is present in measurement result of each measurement item or not, second check (34) for checking whether an abnormality is present or not on the basis of change rate of the absorbance measured by the measurement means after the reagent is added to the sample in the reaction vessel, third check (36) for computing correlation of measured absorbance data and for checking whether an abnormality is present or not on the basis of the result of computation, means (37, 39) for determining, with respect to the sample in accordance with an abnormal item when it is judged that an abnormality is present in the result of check obtained by the first, second or third check, whether remeasurement is necessary or not and for selecting, in case of remeasurement, either one of remasurement under the same condition and remeasurement with a reduced sample quantity as compared with that of the first measurement as remeasurement condition, and carrying, when remeasurement is determined by the determining means, the sample to the sampling position.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic analyzing method, and apparatus, for clinical examinations, suitable for performing remeasurement with respect to a sample wherefrom abnormal data have been detected. Such a method and apparatus is known from US-A-4 263 512, and forms the preamble of claims 1 and 5. In conventional biochemical clinical examinations, there were always factors causing data abnormality. In a clinical examination, measurement concerning serum of a patient is performed. In current clinical examinations, data abnormality is caused by various factors. For example, data abnormality is caused in case a certain component is contained in the serum of a patient with an extremely high concentration, in case a patient takes a large dose of medicine for medical treatment, in case blood is fatty because of corpulence and hence the serum becomes abnormally lipemic, and in case regular use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) results in high concentration of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and reaction of medicine for inspection with vitamin C causes false positivity. If a report to a doctor is made from a clinical examination room without being conscious of these data abnormalities, there is a fear that the doctor makes a mistake in diagnosis upon the patient. In case a normal patient has become abnormal by same influence, a serious problem is not caused because the doctor carries out a close examination. In case an examination for an abnormal patient indicates a normal result by some effect, however, a disease is overlooked, resulting in a medical mistake. Further, this might cause a mistake in judgment of medical treatment. In a clinical examination room, check methods hereafter described have been adopted in order to find out these mistakes included in the result of examination and improve the reliability of report data. In biochemical clinical examinations, examinations of several to thirty and several items are generally carried out for each patient. (1) Checking low value and high value An upper limit value and a lower limit value are set for each item. If these values are exceeded for a sample, the sample is diluted with a physiological solution of sodium chloride or a buffer solution and a remeasurement is taken. A clinical examination engineer (hereafter abbreviated to engineer) performs data judgment and report. An example of abnormality whereby the upper limit value or the lower limit value is exceeded is shown in Fig. 1 of U.S. Patent No. 4,263,512. For a normal sample, the absorbance curve is located at a low level. If there is turbidity in the sample, the absorbance curve often rises to an abnormally high level. (2) Checking change in absorbance If the activity of enzyme is high when enzyme contained in serum is measured, co-enzyme contained in the reagent is consumed in a short time. Therefore, there is adopted a method such as rate analysis, whereby a change in absorbance (hereafter abbreviated to ΔABS) is detected at fixed time intervals and activity of enzyme is measured on the basis of these changes. If measurement is performed after a predetermined time has elapsed since injection of a reagent, however, the change rate of absorbance is measured in some cases after reaction with the reagent has been finished and the absorbance changes little. In this case, erroneous measurement results are obtained. That is to say, ΔABS becomes large if the activity of enzyme is high. If the activity of enzyme is abnormally high, however, the substrate of enzyme is rapidly consumed. When a predetermined time has elapsed, reaction is substantially already finished. At this time, therefore, the measured value of ΔABS becomes very small. In measurement of enzyme, therefore, a check line of upper limit or lower limit with respect to the measured value of absorbance is set as ABS·LIMIT. If reaction becomes rapid because of abnormally high activity of enzyme and hence the absorbance ABS exceeds the above described check line ABS·LIMIT, an alarm is generated for the sample by an automatic analyzing apparatus as data abnormality. The engineer judges abnormality by this alarm. In case turbidity, red color and yellow color of serum are measured after addition of a buffer solution to serum, data abnormality is generated in the enzyme item and the lipid item in serum information containing the influence from muddiness caused by fat of serum, the influence from bilirubin and the influence from hemolysis. (3) Data cross-check between items When the function of the liver, kidney and the like is examined in a clinical examination, examination is performed not for one item but over several items. For example, in the examination of the liver function, GOT, GPT, LDH, ALP, γ-GTP and the like are examined. In case of patients of hepatitis, there is little possibility that only one item is abnormal and normal data are obtained in other items. On the contrary, it is also strange that only one item is normal and other items are abnormal. That is to say, a human body comprises various blood components mutually related and balanced. The engineer judges on the basis of these related data and finds out abnormality in a certain item. Some relations between these items are already known. Further, these relations are stored in a computer in the form of numerical formulas and used for data check. Such data cross-check is disclosed in JJCLA (Japan Journal of Clinical Laboratory Automation), Japan Society for Clinical Laboratory Automation, Vol. 11, No. 5, 1986, pp. 58-62. Conventionally, an engineer synthetically judges about abnormality detected by using these three kinds of representative data checking methods, and the engineer thus determines whether a readjustment should be taken or not. Remeasurement is made under the same condition as the condition of the first measurement or under a different condition. The engineer compares the result of remeasurement with the data obtained by the measurement of the first time and judges which data should be reported to the doctor. In the above described prior art, three kinds of methods for checking data abnormality are used respectively singly. The engineer judges whether data are normal or not by watching these check results and determines whether a readjustment should be taken or not. Problems of the prior art will hereafter be described. In the check of the upper limit value and the lower limit value described in (1), data of an item which should be originally abnormal become normal in some cases under the influence of another component contained in serum. Because of its normality, the data of this item are not detected by this check. For checking this data abnormality, turbidity and the like of serum had to be checked in the check of absorbance change described in (2). Further, in the data cross-check between items described in (3), it was necessary to synthetically judge whether data are abnormal or not and whether reexamination is necessary or not on the basis of data of related items. In case there is turbidity and hemolysis in serum and data abnormalities are present in some items, it is difficult to find out them in the data cross-check between items described in (3). It becomes possible to detect the turbidity and hemolysis on the basis of absorbance level obtained after a reagent is added to serum by using the check of absorbance change rate described in (2). At the present time, it is impossible to completely detect data abnormality by using singly any one of these three kinds of known methods. While watching results of these three kinds of check, the engineer makes a synthetic judgment and detects an abnormality. However, this synthetic judgment depends upon the experience of the engineer. Therefore, judgment result varies with persons, and a person other than an expert overlooks a data abnormality. In a large hospital, the number of patients to be examined per diem becomes order of several hundred, and it is almost impossible for a person to check data. In general, samples judged abnormal are 5 to 10% of all samples. It makes the labor of examination work excessive for an engineer to take out these abnormal samples out of several hundred samples and request remeasurement of some items for each item, resulting in a problem. In a system disclosed in JP-A-62-98262, an engineer performs limit value check and mutual check between items on the basis of various data obtained from the automatic analyzing apparatus, and reexamination is performed when an abnormal sample is found out. On the other hand, in an automatic chemical analyzing apparatus disclosed in JP-A-61-262662, a value measured by the automatic chemical analyzing apparatus is compared with a reference value, and if the measured value exceeds the reference value, that sample is automatically transferred again to an examination station for reexamination of the sample. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic chemical analyzing apparatus, and method, for clinical examination capable of automatically finding out data abnormalities, taking remeasurements with respect to the abnormal samples, and thus saving labor of examination engineers. Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic chemical analyzing apparatus, and method, which allows an engineer to set conditions concerning reexamination on the basis of contents of a data abnormality of an abnormal sample when the abnormal sample has been found out. A further object of the present invention is to provide mechanism for carrying an abnormal sample to an analyzing section for the purpose of reexamination when the abnormal sample has been found out. In accordance with an automatic analyzing method according to the present invention, an automatic analyzing apparatus for clinical examination including a measurement section for measuring absorbance of samples at preset time intervals, sample transfer means for transferring a sample between preset positions, and retransfer means for transferring a sample to the above described measurement section again comprises a first check section for checking whether an abnormality based upon inadequate presetting in the analyzing apparatus with respect to a measurement object is present or not, a second check section for checking whether an abnormality is present or not on the basis of the change rate of absorbance with respect to measurement time, a third check section for computing correlation between measured data and checking whether an abnormality is present or not, and a data computation processing section for outputting information for each check section, whereby whether remeasurement is necessary or not and condition for remeasurement are determined, and for making the above described measurement section take a remeasurement with respect to the sample. The apparatus is formed so that priority orders are set among the first to third check sections and check items of respective sections may be altered. Further, the apparatus is formed so that priority orders may be set among check items of respective check sections. Further, an automatic analyzing method according to claim 5 is disclosed. The first to third checks will now be described briefly. (1) The first check (checking the low value and the high value of data) An upper limit value and a lower limit value are set for each item. Contents and/or degree of priority of reexamination processing performed when the limit value is exceeded are set. (2) The second check (checking absorbance change) For each item, check time during the progress of reaction, check scheme (change rate of absorbance or absorbance), and contents and/or degree of priority of reexamination processing performed when the preset limit value is exceeded are set. (3) The third check (data cross-check between items) Data between items are checked by combining arithmetical operations and insertion of parentheses and coefficients, and limit values are set. For each of checked items, contents and/or degree of priority of reexamination processing performed when a limit value is exceeded are set. After data checks described before in (1) to (3) have been finished, degrees of priority of check results are compared for each item, and the engineer is informed of contents of reexamination processing having the highest degree of priority. The engineer may consider priority relationship in accordance with the engineer's idea and specify degrees of priority of respective checks. Thereby, it becomes possible to automatically check a data abnormality and execute as proxy the synthetic check which has been performed by the engineer. After the synthetic check, a sample which has been judged necessary to undergo a remeasurement is automatically extracted by the automatic analyzing apparatus and transferred to the analyzing section. At this time, a directive concerning the processing contents of remeasurement is also sent to the analyzing section. As a result, the sample which has been judged necessary by the data computation processing section to undergo a remeasurement automatically undergoes a measurement in the analyzing section, labor of the examination engineer being unnecessitated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing data transmission relations between an automatic analyzing apparatus and a data computation processing section; Fig. 3 is a flow diagram of data abnormality check according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is a diagram for illustrating an example of absorbance change according to the present invention; Figs. 5A to 5E are flow charts showing examples of a check rule of a third check according to the present invention; and Fig. 6 is a flow chart obtained when degrees of priority are assigned to the rules shown in Figs. 5A to 5E. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will hereafter be described by referring to drawings. In Fig. 1, each of sample racks 11 placed on a line 18 of the analyzing apparatus houses 5 samples. A leading sample rack is pushed out onto a line 21 by an arm 14 driven by a motor 17. Further, the sample rack is transferred toward a right line 23 by an arm 22 driven by a motor 24. The line 23 comprises a belt driven by a motor 25. The sample rack is transferred to the right by that belt and stopped at a predetermined sampling position by a stopper 27 which is positioned by a motor 26. Owing to the function of this stopper, samples housed in the sample rack are successively sampled one by one by a sampler 73 and fractionally injected into reaction vessels 70 on a turntable 71. When sampling of all samples on the sample rack has been finished, the sample rack is transferred to the right end of the line 23, transferred onto a line 51 by an arm 41, which is moved by drive means 42, and further transferred on the line 51 to the left end by an arm 52 driven by a motor 54. Up to 9 sample racks are held on the line 51 and wait on the line 51 until the analysis results of samples held on each sample rack are outputted. When analysis results are outputted from the analyzing section and it is judged all of the five samples housed in the leading sample rack are normal, that sample rack is transferred onto a line 64 over the line 21 by an arm 61 driven by a motor 63. When one sample housed in a sample rack is judged abnormal, that sample rack is stopped on the line 21 and then transferred to the sampling position again by the arm 22. By the same procedure as that described before, sampling is thus performed. However, a sample which has already undergone reexamination (the second examination) is not subject to a third examination. A series of operation heretofore described is executed until all sample racks on the line 18 are sent out and sent into the line 64. The turntable 71 is rotated by 360° plus the angle corresponding to one reaction vessel each time sampling and injection into each reaction vessel 70 are performed. Each time the turntable 71 completes one revolution, therefore, all reaction vessels are passed through a photometry section 78 to undergo photometry. On the turntable, 50 reaction vessels are disposed on a circumference. If the turntable completes one revolution, therefore, reaction vessels are advanced by a distance corresponding to one reaction vessel. Eventually, each reaction vessel passes through the photometry section 78 fifty times and photometry is performed fifty times until that reaction vessel is stopped again at the same position as the start point. The time whereat each reaction vessel passes through the photometry section is referred to as measuring point. This measuring point can be represented by the number of times the reaction vessel passes through the photometry position since sample injection. Rotation of the turntable is executed at intervals of 12 seconds. Since there are 50 reaction vessels, measurements can be taken for one sample up to maximum 10 minutes. Numerals 74 and 75 denote positions whereat first and second reagents are injected, respectively. Numerals 76 and 77 denote agitation sections, and numeral 73 denotes a washing section. Turntable operation, sampling, reagent injection, photometry and washing heretofore described are performed by using generally known methods as shown in "Model 736 Series", catalogue of Hitachi Ltd. The sample rack 11 waits for outputting of data at a data output waiting position (the left end of the line 51). When data are outputted, the data are transmitted from the automatic analyzing apparatus to a data computation processing section 12 (Fig. 2), where it is judged whether an abnormality is present or not. In the data computation processing section 12, data obtained from respective samples are checked in accordance with a flow chart shown in Fig. 3. With reference to Fig. 3, data of one patient are outputted at step 31, and data of one examination are read out at step 32. A first check is performed at step 33. This first check comprises an alarm check relating to the apparatus status in addition to the above described check of the high value and low value. Checks having contents shown in Table 1 are performed. Degree of priority Kind of abnormality Contents of disposition 1 . Insufficient samples Remeasurement is not taken . Abnormality in A-D converter . Insufficient reagents 2 . ABS·LIMIT of absorbance is exceeded Remeasurement is taken with a sample quantity less than that of the first time (Sample quantity is specified for each item) . Measurement range is exceeded (upper limit value) . Immunity antigen is exceeded (Prozone limit) 3 . Enzyme reaction curves Remeasurement is taken under the same analysis condition as that of the first time . Cell blank is abnormal . Measurement range is exceeded (lower limit value) With reference to Table 1, remeasurement cannot be taken in case of insufficient samples, abnormality in the A-D converter and insufficient reagents. As the contents of disposition, therefore, remeasurement is not taken. Insufficient samples and insufficient reagents can be detected by liquid surface sensors respectively disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,228,831 and 4,451,433, for example. Abnormalities that ABS·LIMIT of absorbance, the upper limit value of the measurement range and immunity antigen are exceeded are caused by the fact that the enzyme activity is too high and hence the progress of reaction is too fast. Therefore, a remeasurement is taken with a reduced sample quantity. "Enzyme reaction curves" indicates the fact that the reaction curve largely deviates from the normal curve by some cause. "Cell blank is abnormal" indicates the fact that an error is caused in the measured value because of dirt or the like of the reaction tube. "Measurement range is exceeded (lower limit value)" indicates the fact that the reaction is abnormally slow. In these cases, remeasurement is taken under the same condition as that of the first time in order to reaffirm the measured value. Depending upon the kind of abnormality which has occurred, degree of priority is given to contents of processing to be executed as indicated in the left column of Table 1. In case an alarm of insufficient samples is generated, for example, remeasurement is not taken as the disposition. In case alarms of "insufficient samples" and "ABS·LIMIT is exceeded" are simultaneously generated, remeasurement is not taken in accordance with the contents of the disposition for "insufficient samples" having higher degree of priority. The first check for one measurement item is thus finished. A second check relating to the absorbance change is then performed at step 34. In the second check, difference in absorbance, change rate of absorbance and absorbance measuring point are specified, and arithmetic operations, parentheses and coefficients are set for each item as shown in Table 2. Check formulas are made, and whether reexamination should be performed or not and reexamination conditions are determined in accordance with the check formulas. Fig. 4 shows an example of absorbance change. The shaded region indicates the measurement range, and a discontinuous point between curves indicates the injection point of the second reagent. Respective items of Table 2 will hereafter be described. 1 ○ GOT check: After the first reagent has been added, absorbance is measured at intervals of fixed time (at intervals of 12 seconds). Immediately after the first reagent is added, data contain many errors because bubbles are generated by addition of the reagent and the temperature of the reagent does not become constant. Therefore, the measuring points are not used for check. Immediately before addition of the second reagent when 4 to 5 minutes have elapsed, side reaction represented by the following formula occurs and reagent NADH is consumed, absorbance of NADH thus reaching a low level. Pyruvic acid and LDH are contained in the sample. Even if absorbance is measured at instants of measuring points 20 to 25 when 4 to 5 minutes have elapsed, the quantity of NADH contained in the reagent cannot be accurately measured because of this side reaction. Further, if absorbance is measured only once, there is a fear that the measurement is affected by electrical noises in the amplifier. Therefore, a more accurate result can be obtained by averaging two measurements. Therefore, the mean value of measured values A 5 and A 6 respectively obtained at measuring points 5 and 6 is calculated as shown in Table 2. In the check formula, "8000" at the check point is obtained by multiplying absorbance by 10,000 and means that absorbance is 0.8. In general, each of reagents used for measuring GOT and GPT has absorbance nearly equal to 1.2. On the other hand, absorbance of each of these reagents naturally decreases by approximately 0.2 in one week. If absorbance becomes too small, measurement becomes impossible. As its limit point, absorbance of 0.8, i.e., 8000 has been specified. 2 ○ GPT check: In the same way as GOT, GPT is one kind of amino acid transition enzymes. Since its analysis method is also based upon the same principle as that of GOT, the same check method is used. 3 ○ LDH check: The first reagent is added. After the temperature becomes constant and bubbles disappear, change rate of absorbance of the reaction liquid is measured at the measuring point 5 and thereafter. As the first reagent, an NADH aqueous solution is used. As the second reagent, pyruvic acid water solution is used. Its side reaction is represented by the following formula. If the reaction vessel is tainted by enzyme reacting on NADH when the first reagent is added, NADH contained in the reagent is consumed and absorbance is at its low level. For this check, therefore, change rate of absorbance at measuring points 5 to 21 is calculated by using the method of least square. 4 ○ BUN check: Measurement of BUN is performed for quantitating urea contained in serum. This quantitating method can be represented by the following formula: In this method, urea is resolved and ammonia is quantitated. If the serum is left as it is, protein contained in the serum is resolved by micro-organisms and hence ammonia is unfavorably increased in some cases. If absorbance obtained immediately after addition of the second reagent largely changes from absorbance obtained before addition, this fact means that a large quantity of ammonia is present in the serum. Therefore, the difference between the value measured at measuring points 15 and 16 before addition of the second reagent and the value measured at measuring points 26 and 27 immediately after addition of the second reagent is calculated. When the difference is larger than 500, ammonia is judged excessive. 5 ○ AMY check: AMY is enzyme resolving sugar. In serum of some patients, a large quantity of sugar is contained. The reagent for AMY measurement contains a fixed quantity of sugar, which is resolved by the action of AMY. The reagent reacts on components resulting from resolution. On the basis of the rate of reaction at this point, the activity value of AMY is measured. If a large quantity of sugar is contained in serum, absorbance rapidly changes after addition of the first reagent. Further, because there are components directly reacting on the reagent and components which first resolve and then react on the reagent, this reaction does not proceed at a fixed rate. Therefore, abnormality is judged present if the difference between the value measured at the measuring points 3 and 4 soon after the addition of the first reagent and the value measured at the measuring points 15 and 16 after the elapse of approximately 2 minutes is larger than 500. 6 ○ ALP check: For ALP, measuring wavelength of 415 nm is used. In some cases, however, data rapidly become high values after addition of the first reagent under the influence of hemoglobin and bilirubin contained in serum. In particular, bilirubin becomes large in absorbance immediately after the addition of the first reagent. Therefore, measurement is taken at measuring points 5 and 6 where the temperature becomes constant and generation of bubbles finishes soon after the addition of the first reagent. If the steps 33 and 34 are finished for one item as heretofore described, it is checked at step 35 whether check has been finished for all measurement items or not. If judgment at the step 35 is "NO", processing returns to the step 32, where data of the next item is read out and the first check and the second check are performed in the same way as the foregoing description. If checks of all items have been judged finished at the step 35, a third check is performed at step 36 and the remeasurement condition is determined in accordance with the condition of the check result having a higher degree of priority at step 37. At step 38, it is judged whether checks of all items included in the third check have been finished or not. At step 39, the remeasurement condition based upon the step 37 is ordered. In the third check, data cross-check between items is performed. The third check comprises the steps of adding coefficients to data of respective items, entering parentheses to form formulas, performing arithmetic operations, and comparing the result of operations with a predetermined limit value. Figs. 5A to 5E show data check rules between items. Checks based upon these five rules are executed in order complying with priority orders described later. In rule 1 shown in Fig. 5A, relationship between TP and ALB is checked. In general, the difference between TP and ALB is globulin. It is known that the quantity of globulin comes into a nearly fixed region. If the difference is too large or too small, reexamination is specified. In rule 2 shown in Fig. 5B, relationship between GOT and GPT is checked. In general, the ratio between them becomes constant. When the ratio comes off its region, reexamination is ordered. In rule 3 shown in Fig. 5C, bilirubin (T-BIL and D-BIL) of a part of examination of liver is checked. It is known that one of T-BIL and D-BIL also increases if the other of them increases and one of them also decreases if the other of them decreases. Therefore, the check is performed by checking whether the ratio between them is within a fixed range or not. In rule 4 shown in Fig. 5D, relationship between UA and CRE in examination of kidney performance is checked. In the same way as the case of bilirubin, this is checked in the form of the ratio between them. In rule 5 shown in Fig. 5E, liver performance is checked to see whether an abnormality is present or not. In inter-head checks in the third check, orders of priority are given in order of rule number. It is now assumed that an abnormality is judged present and reexamination is ordered in a certain item by a certain rule and reexamination is ordered with respect to that item by a different rule as well. If contents of reexamination are different at that time and reexamination is executed with the identical or reduced quantity of samples, contents of smaller rule No. having a higher priority degree are ordered. If one rule orders reexamination and another rule does not order reexamination, however, reexamination is executed. With respect to GOT, for example, reexamination can be ordered by the rule 2 and the rule 5. In this case, however, the rule 2 takes priority. As shown in Fig. 6, therefore, Fig. 5A to 5E may be executed one after another. By these three kinds of checks, reexamination contents are ordered, respectively. These checks are provided with degrees of priority in the following order (step 37). 1. The first check (check on apparatus state) 2. The second check (check on absorbance change) 3. The third check (check between items) If reexamination for a certain item is requested at two places, i.e., the second check section and the third check section, reanalysis is performed under the reexamination condition of the second check section having a higher degree of priority. If reexamination request is issued at at least one check section, reexamination is executed. After completion of the check, the sample rack 11 which has been located at a data output waiting position 51 is housed in the line 64 unless a reexamination request for a sample on the rack is present. If a reexamination request is present, the sample rack 11 is transferred to the analysis section again via the line 21 and analyzed. In the present embodiment, an abnormal sample is automatically checked and picked up, and request item specification of remeasurement and remeasurement are automatically made, resulting in automation and labor saving in the examination room. The present invention makes it possible to synthetically judge and find out abnormalities in data at all times without recourse to the engineer's experience. Further, a large number of samples can also be processed in real time. As compared with the case where the engineer checks and judges, labor can be largely saved, resulting in an effect. Further, since the apparatus automatically takes a remeasurement on samples, there is not a fear that the examination engineer takes a wrong sample. The reliability of examination is thus improved, resulting in another effect.

Claims: Automatic analyzing apparatus for clinical examination, comprising: (1) sampling means (21-25, 27, 73) for transferring a sample to be examined to a sampling position and for fractionally injecting the sample into a reaction vessel (70); (2) reagent adding means (71, 74-77) for adding a reagent to the reaction vessel (70) holding therein the sample fractionally injected by said sampling means (21-25, 27, 73) to cause reaction; and (3) measurement means (78) for measuring absorbance of the reaction solution at predetermined time intervals; characterized by further comprising: (4) a data computation processing section (12) for checking data received from said analyzing apparatus and relating to respective samples said data computation processing section (12) comprising: (a) first check means (33) for checking the status of the analyzing apparatus and for checking whether or not there has been an inadequate presetting of the analyzing apparatus with respect to a measurement object; (b) second check means (34) for checking whether an abnormality is present or not on the basis of the change rate of absorbance with respect to measurement time after the reagent is added to the sample in said reaction vessel (70); (c) third check means (36) for computing correlation of absorbance data between different tests of the sample measured by said measurement means (78) and for checking on the basis thereof whether or not the correlation of absorbance data between different sample tests lie outside a predetermined range; (d) priority degree presetting means for presetting priority degrees among the three check means a) to c) and among individual checks of each of the respective check means; (5) remeasurement judging means (37, 39) for judging the respective results of the first, second and third check means (33, 34, 36) and for determining on the basis thereof and on the basis of the priority degrees preset by said priority degree presetting means whether or not remeasurement is necessary and, for selecting, in case of remeasurement, either a remeasurement under the same condition or a remeasurement with a reduced sample quantity as compared with that of the first measurement; and (6) carrying means (61, 63, 22) for carrying again, when the necessity of remeasurement is determined by said remeasurement judging means (37, 39), said sample to said sampling means (21-25, 26, 73). Automatic analyzing apparatus for clinical examination according to claim 1, wherein said first check means (33) comprises means (table 1) for checking an item which cannot be remeasured. Automatic analyzing apparatus for clinical examination according to claim 1, wherein said first check means (33) comprises means (table 1) for detecting the fact that absorbance measured by said measurement means (78) exceeds a range defined by predetermined upper limit and lower limit values. Automatic analyzing apparatus for clinical examination according to claim 1, comprising means (51, 54) for holding the sample in waiting state at a predetermined position until check results are outputted by said first, second and third check means (33, 34, 36) and means (61, 63) for sending, when the check result is judged normal by said first, second or third check means, said sample to a discharge position. Automatic analyzing method for clinical examination, comprising: (1) a sampling step (21-25, 27, 73) for transferring a sample to be examined to a sampling position and for fractionally injecting the sample into a reaction vessel (70); (2) a reagent adding step (71, 74-77) for adding a reagent to the reaction vessel (70) holding therein the sample fractionally injected by said sampling step (21-25, 27, 73) to cause reaction; and (3) a measurement step (71, 78) for measuring absorbance of the reaction solution at predetermined time intervals; characterized by further comprising: (4) a step for checking data received from said analyzing apparatus and relating to respective samples, said step comprising: (a) first check step (33) for checking the status of the analyzing apparatus and for checking whether or not there has been an inadequate presetting of the analyzing apparatus with respect to a measurement object; (b) second check step (34) for checking whether an abnormality is present or not on the basis of the change rate of absorbance with respect to measurement time after the reagent is added to the sample in said reaction vessel (70); (c) third check step (36) for computing correlation of absorbance data between different tests of the sample measured by said measurement step (78) and for checking on the basis thereof whether or not the correlation of absorbance data between different sample tests lie outside a predetermined range; (d) priority degree presetting step for presetting priority degrees among the three check steps a) to c) and among individual checks of each of the respective check steps; (5) a remeasurement judging step (37, 39) for judging the respective results of the first, second and third check steps (33, 34, 36) and for determining on the basis thereof and on the basis of the priority degrees preset by said priority degree presetting step whether or not remeasurement is necessary and, for selecting, in case of remeasurement, either a remeasurement under the same condition or a remeasurement with a reduced sample quantity as compared with that of the first measurement; and (6) a carrying step (61, 63, 22) for carrying again, when the necessity of remeasurement is determined by said remeasurement judging step (37, 39), said sample to said sampling position. Automatic analyzing method for clinical examination according to claim 5, comprising a step (53, 54) for holding the sample in waiting state at a predetermined position until check results obtained at said first, second and third checking steps (33, 34, 36) are outputted and a step for sending, when the check result is judged normal at said first, second or third check step, said sample to a discharge position.

Inventors: MIMURA TOMONORI, SATOU TAKEHIDE, MIMURA, TOMONORI, SATOU, TAKEHIDE
Applicants: HITACHI LTD, HITACHI, LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G01N35
IPC codes: G01N35, G01N21, G01N33