Patent Publication Number: US-2013243652-A1

Title: Automatic analyzer

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer for clinical tests analyzing biological samples such as blood and urine. More particularly, the invention relates to an automatic analyzer equipped with an automatic startup function. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Automatic analyzers for clinical tests have been called on to reduce standby power consumption in order to lower the running cost of the tests and to protect the global environment in general. On the other hand, the automatic analyzers are also required to perform quick diagnoses in response to emergency test requests outside consultation hours for better medical service. To deal with emergency test requests typically at night requires keeping the analyzer in an active state, which does not contribute to reducing power consumption. Thus, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed as a method for putting the system in the active state before a patient sample arrives at the laboratory. 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENT 
     Patent Document 
     
         
         Patent Document 1: JP-2003-121449-A 
       
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problem to be Solved by the Invention 
     According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, the system can be remotely controlled to shorten its startup time by the amount of the time it takes the user to reach the location where the system is installed. However, since a system startup instruction is issued after a decision is made to test the sample, it still takes the usual time to start up the system following the test request and to reach a level of stability necessary for the analysis. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer capable of dealing with emergency test requests typically at night while reducing power consumption. 
     Means for Solving the Problem 
     In order to achieve the object above, the present invention is configured as follows. 
     There is provided an automatic analyzer having a reaction vessel for causing a sample to react with a reagent, and a measurement unit for measuring the reaction in the reaction vessel, the automatic analyzer including: power switches which turn on and off a power sources of at least two of components configuring the automatic analyzer, the components including a heat source for raising the temperature inside the analyzer and a cold source for lowering the temperature inside the analyzer; a selection means which selects any of a plurality of startup modes each corresponding to a temperature rise speed inside the analyzer following an analyzer startup; and a control mechanism which, in accordance with the startup mode selected by the selection means, controls the on/off operations of the power switch coupled to each of the components. 
     The above-mentioned measurement unit may perform, for example, colorimetric analysis (biochemical analysis) whereby the light coming from a light source and passing through a reaction liquid inside the reaction vessel is diffracted into a plurality of wavelengths so that the intensity of the light received at each of the wavelengths may be measured, and chemoluminescence or electrochemical luminescence measurement (immunoassay) involving a photo multiplier or the like measuring the intensity of the light emitted from markers in the reaction liquid. The measurement unit may also measure changes in a physical quantity other than light intensity as long as the measurement involves a reactant. Usually, such a measurement unit has its measured values often varied due to changes in ambient temperature. The present invention is particularly suitable for the measurement unit highly susceptible to the influence of changes in ambient temperature. Among the above-mentioned components, the heat source may be a heater (provided to heat the reaction liquid inside the reaction vessel up to a predetermined temperature), the light source of the measurement unit, a motor for operating a dispensing mechanism dispensing a predetermined amount of a sample or a reagent, or a motor for moving the dispensing mechanism to a predetermined position, for example. In addition to these heat sources, any object that emanates heat to its surroundings when operated in predetermined operation can be a heat source. The cold source may be a cooling mechanism for cooling to a predetermined temperature a reagent vessel that houses reagents so as to prevent deterioration of the reagents therein (although the cooling mechanism can become a heat source if it exchanges heat with the outside in order to cool the reagents, the cooling mechanism remains a cold source when it circulates cooling water that also cools its surroundings), or a cooling fan that lowers the temperature of electronic substrates in the analyzer to below a predetermined temperature, among others. These cooling mechanisms can be cold sources if they have the function of lowering the temperature outside the components. 
     The plurality of startup modes include an emergency sample measurement mode in which, when a sample urgently needs to be measured at night, the temperature inside the analyzer (especially the temperature of the measurement unit) is raised in the shortest possible time to a level high enough to make measurements stably with the analyzer just started up from its inactivate state, and an energy-saving mode in which a minimum amount of power is used to start up the analyzer. These modes may be set to be effective not only upon analyzer startup but also when the analyzer is stopped but some of its heat sources are kept active to preheat the inside of the analyzer so that the temperature inside the analyzer may later be raised at a higher speed. A variety of startup modes may also be set to address the user&#39;s requests. In addition to the startup modes preset by the analyzer manufacturer, a new startup mode may be created by the user utilizing a suitably provided function. In such a case, there may be provided beforehand storage of the thermal dose and cooling dose of each of the components regarded as a heat source or a cold source, and a user interface through which combinations of the stored thermal and cooling doses may be set selectively on a display screen. 
     Effects of the Invention 
     The invention provides an automatic analyzer capable of dealing with emergency test requests typically at night while reducing power consumption. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an overall structure of an automatic analyzer for clinical tests. 
         FIG. 2  shows a structure of the control connections for various objects to be controlled in connection with the present invention. (Embodiment) 
         FIG. 3  shows a detailed structure of power control for an object to be controlled. (Embodiment) 
         FIG. 4  shows a detailed scheme of power control for objects to be controlled upon system startup. 
         FIG. 5  shows effects of power control according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows time transitions of control in various startup modes according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Some examples of the present invention are explained below in reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is an overall block diagram of a biochemical automatic analyzer used in connection with the present invention. An analysis unit  101  is made up of a main SW  102  which is a main switch for receiving power, an operation SW  103  which is a switch for activating the analyzer upon use, a control unit  104 , a mechanism drive unit  105 , and a reagent cold storage unit  106  for constantly cooling reagents regardless of the state of the operation SW  103 . 
     The control unit  104  is made up of a control power source  107 , a CPU  108 , a memory  109 , a storage medium  110 , an I/O unit  111  permitting input and output for controlling the mechanism drive unit  105 , an ADC  112  for acquiring measured data through conversion of analog signals into digital form, and an I/F  114  which is an interface portion for communicating with an operation unit  113 . 
     The mechanism drive unit  105  includes a mechanism power source  115 , a drive circuit  116 , a sample dispensing mechanism  119  for dispensing a sample from a sample container  117  into a reaction vessel  118 , a reagent dispensing mechanism  120  for dispensing a reagent into the reaction vessel  118 , a stirring mechanism  121  for stirring a liquid mixture in the reaction vessel, a multiwavelength photometer  122  for measuring the absorbance of the liquid mixture, a washing mechanism  123  for washing the reaction vessel after use, a thermostat  124  for keeping a reaction system at a constant temperature so as to stabilize reaction, and a thermostat temperature control unit  125  for controlling the temperature of the thermostat. In the analysis unit  101 , the mechanism power source  115  and drive circuit  116  are controlled by signals from the I/O unit  111  of the control unit to drive the mechanisms involved. In the reaction vessel  118 , the sample and reagent are mixed to form a liquid mixture. This liquid mixture is subjected to absorbance measurement at the wavelengths corresponding to various analysis items using the multiwavelength photometer  122  and ADC  112 , whereby the sample is analyzed. 
     The reagent cold storage unit  106  keeps reagents at a low temperature for stable analysis operation, and serves as a cooling box for reagents while the analyzer is deactivated and is not operating for analysis. For this reason, the reagent cold storage unit  106  needs to be powered even when the control unit  104  and mechanism drive unit  105  are turned off. 
       FIG. 2  shows connections of objects to be controlled  201  associated with heat generation in connection with this invention. The objects to be controlled  201  related to heat generation include a reagent cold storage unit  202 , a cooling fan  203  for cooling the inside of the analyzer, a heater  204  for heating the thermostat, a lamp  205  acting as the light source of the photometer, and a motor  206  controlled by the drive circuit in the mechanism drive unit. These objects to be controlled are powered by a main power source  208  through an independent control switch  207  that can turn on and off the supply of power by way of a transformer  209 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a method for connecting and controlling an object to be controlled  301  in connection with the present invention. The power supplied from a main power source  302  and fed to the object to be controlled  301  via a control switch  303  is converted by a power sensor  304  into a power value  305 . Heat dissipation  306  from the object to be controlled  301  is captured by a temperature sensor  307  and converted into a measured temperature value  308 . Given input of the power value  305  and measured temperature value  308 , a CPU  309  gives a command designating the next state of the control switch  303  based on internal control parameters. And as means for automatically preparing the control parameters, the CPU  309  has the function of inputting test patterns  310  that record the combinations of the control switch  303 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a detailed scheme of power control upon system startup in connection with the present invention. An analysis unit  401  includes a temperature sensor 1  402  and a temperature sensor 2  403  disposed at positions associated with the stability of analysis. Thus positioned, these temperature sensors monitor a temperature transition 1  404  and a temperature transition 2  405 . Also, the output value of a photometer  406  is monitored as a measured photometer value transition  407 . The stability of the measured photometer value transition  407  is closely associated with the stability of the temperature transition 1  404  and temperature transition 2  405 . 
     A control system  408  performs control in such a manner that, to get the temperature transition 1  404 , temperature transition 2  405  and measured photometer value transition  407  converging on stabilized target values  409 , current values  410  are brought closer to the target values  409  using a predetermined control parameter  411  relative to the current stability. 
     The control parameter  411  has its content determined by setting a weighting factor  412  on multiple dimensions so as to determine the degree of weight applied on the respective results of monitoring. This control parameter may have its settings varied depending on the user&#39;s preferences, or a plurality of parameters may be prepared beforehand so that the user can select any one of them as desired. This makes it possible to start up the analyzer in the usual startup time or to select a rapid startup or an energy-saving startup. 
       FIG. 5  shows effects of power control according to the present invention. A temperature-to-time graph  501  shows a temperature rise transition from a power-on point  502 . A normal temperature transition  503  represents a temperature transition from the power-on point  502  on in accordance with conventional technique. At an analyzer stabilization point  504 , the analyzer reaches a stable state in which the analyzer is ready for analysis. A normal sleep-on temperature transition  505  is a temperature transition in effect when solely particular components are kept on prior to the power-on point  502  typically for the purpose of raising the speed of starting up the analyzer. A rapid startup temperature transition  506  is a temperature transition in effect when the objects to be controlled associated with heat generation are controlled by the above-mentioned method so as to shorten the time required to reach the analyzer stabilization point  504 . A rapid sleep-on temperature transition  507  is a temperature transition in effect when solely specific components are kept on prior to the power-on point  504  so as to further shorten the startup time. 
     A power consumption-to-time graph  508  shows a power consumption transition from the power-on point  502 . A normal power transition  509  represents a power consumption transition from the power-on point  502  on in accordance with conventional technique. At the analyzer stabilization point  504  indicated, the analyzer reaches a stable state in which the analyzer is ready for analysis. A rapid startup power transition  510  is a power transition in effect when the objects to be controlled are controlled by the above-mentioned method so as to shorten the time required to reach the analyzer stabilization point  504 . An energy-saving power transition  511  is a power transition in effect when a tradeoff is made between shortening the time required to reach the analyzer stabilization point  504  and reducing the power consumption upon analyzer startup. 
       FIG. 6  shows temperature transitions indicative of the stability of object to be controlled in, and power consumption of, an analyzer as a second embodiment of the present invention. A control time transition  601  for various startup modes denotes, along a common time axis, power consumption  611 , reaction vessel temperature  612 , temperature  613  inside the analyzer, heater output  614 , motor output  615 , lamp output  616 , and cooling fan output  617 . The lines in the graph represent typical different startup modes that may be selected for the analyzer to which this invention is applied. The startup modes include normal startup mode  621 , rapid startup mode  622 , low power startup mode  623 , and preheated startup mode  624 . And marks along the time axis indicate the time of an analyzer startup  631 , as well as the time of preheated startup mode standby  632 , time of rapid startup mode standby  633 , time of normal startup mode standby  634 , and time of low power startup mode standby  635 , the times being analysis start-ready times in the different modes. 
     Normal startup mode  621  indicates a time transition according to the ordinary startup method. 
     Rapid startup mode  622  is a mode that maximizes the heater output  614 , motor output  615  and lamp output  616  as sources contributing to heating, while minimizing or deactivating the cooling fan output  617  contributing to cooling. This allows the reaction vessel temperature  612  and temperature  613  inside the analyzer to rise rapidly for a quicker transition to an analysis-ready state than usual, thereby shortening the waiting time of the user. 
     Also, power consumption is the largest when the analyzer is started up with a plurality of loads activated usually at the same time. Low power startup mode  623  is a mode that staggers over time the peaks of such loads as heater output, motor output, lamp output, and cooling fan output, thereby avoiding the concentration of power consumption upon startup. This makes it possible to reduce the capacity of a power supply system for the analyzer as well as the capacity of the power supply facility to be prepared by the user, which contributes to lowering initial introduction cost. 
     Also, preheated startup mode  614  is a mode in which the objects to be controlled are operated to a certain extent while the analyzer is inactive in order to keep the reaction vessel temperature  612  and temperature  613  inside the analyzer fairly high during inactivity for transition to an analysis-ready time (preheated startup mode standby  632 ) after the analyzer startup  631 . This mode permits rapid transition from inactivity to the analysis-ready state and is also effective in handling an emergency request to have a sample analyzed during inactivity such as at night. 
     According to this invention, as described above, there is provided the function of individually turning on and off the power sources for the components acting as heat and cold sources in the automatic analyzer, as well as the function of storing basic data about the rise and fall of the temperature in the automatic analyzer due to the on/off operations of its components. In this configuration, if it is desired to start up the analyzer from its inactive state to quickly reach the analysis-ready state, the power sources of the components acting as heat sources may be turned on. Where necessary, the supply of energy to the heat sources may be raised to permit a faster transition to a measurement-ready temperature than in normal startup. In this case, such cold sources as the cooling fan and reagent cold storage unit may be kept off to raise the speed of temperature rise in the analyzer while lowering power consumption. Also, feedback control may be performed based on information from a thermometer (or a plurality of thermometers) installed inside the analyzer in such a manner as to control precisely the temperature in the analyzer. 
     Furthermore, if the analyzer is desired to be started up more quickly, the analyzer may be operated so that some of its components acting as heat sources are kept on even in a standby state in order to maintain the preheated condition. 
     That is, in a clinical-use automatic analyzer to be started up according to the present invention, the power sources of the loads associated with the temperature in the analyzer can be controlled with regard to each object to be controlled. This makes it possible to freely control the time required to attain a stable temperature unlike with conventional methods and thereby to shorten the time required for the temperature to stabilize. Because the power sources can be controlled per load, it is possible to fine-tune the combination of standby power settings and load power control upon startup in keeping with the user&#39;s request. The user is allowed not only to select the degree of energy saving but also to freely select the time it takes for the analyzer to be started up and stabilize. 
     DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           101 ,  401  Analysis unit 
           102  Main SW 
           103  Operation SW 
           104  Control unit 
           105  Mechanism drive unit 
           106  Reagent cold storage unit 
           107  Control power source 
           108  CPU 
           109  Memory 
           110  Storage medium 
           1111 /O 
           112  ADC 
           113  Operation unit 
           114  I/F 
           115  Mechanism power source 
           116  Drive circuit 
           117  Sample container 
           118  Reaction vessel 
           119  Sample dispensing mechanism 
           120  Reagent dispensing mechanism 
           121  Stirring mechanism 
           122  Multiwavelength photometer 
           123  Washing mechanism 
           124  Thermostat 
           125  Thermostat temperature control unit 
           201 ,  301  Objects to be controlled 
           202  Reagent cold storage unit 
           203  Cooling fan 
           204  Heater 
           205  Lamp 
           206  Motor 
           207 ,  303  Control switch 
           208 ,  302  Main power source 
           209  Transformer 
           304  Power sensor 
           305  Power value 
           306  Heat dissipation 
           307  Temperature sensor 
           308  Measured Temperature value 
           309  CPU 
           310  Test pattern 
           402  Temperature sensor 1 
           403  Temperature sensor 2 
           404  Temperature transition 1 
           405  Temperature transition 2 
           406  Photometer 
           407  Measured photometer value transition 
           408  Control system 
           409  Target value 
           410  Current value 
           411  Control parameter 
           412  Weighting factor 
           501  Temperature-to-time graph 
           502  Power ON 
           503  Normal temperature transition 
           504  Analyzer stabilization point 
           505  Normal sleep-on temperature transition 
           506  Rapid startup temperature transition 
           507  Rapid sleep-on temperature transition 
           508  Power consumption-to-time graph 
           509  Normal power transition 
           510  Rapid startup power transition 
           511  Energy-saving power transition 
           601  Time transition of control for various startup modes 
           611  Power consumption 
           612  Reaction vessel temperature 
           613  Temperature inside analyzer 
           614  Heater output 
           615  Motor output 
           616  Lamp output 
           617  Cooling fan output 
           621  Normal startup mode 
           622  Rapid startup mode 
           623  Low power startup mode 
           624  Preheated startup mode 
           631  Analyzer startup 
           632  Preheated startup mode standby 
           633  Rapid startup mode standby 
           634  Normal startup mode standby 
           635  Low power startup mode standby