Patent Description:
Conventionally, an automatic analyzer that performs analysis by mixing various reagents and a sample is provided with a reagent cooler that holds the various reagents. The reagent cooler has a reagent aspiration hole in a portion of the lid member so that the held reagent can be easily aspirated, and the reagent aspiration hole is always open.

Generally, the inside of the reagent cooler is kept at a lower temperature than the room temperature. However, since the reagent aspiration hole is always open, outside air flows in through the hole, causing dew condensation inside the reagent cooler. In addition, the inflow of outside air causes a rise in the temperature in the vicinity of the reagent aspiration hole and makes the temperature distribution inside the cooler ununiform. Therefore, Patent Literature <NUM> discloses a technique that prevents inflow of outside air and dew condensation by feeding cooled air from outside the reagent cooler.

In the prior art, cooling of the reagent cooler, cooling of the air to be fed into the reagent cooler, and air stirring means to uniformize the temperature inside the reagent cooler have been performed using different devices. Using different devices in this way poses a problem about a rise in the power consumption of the automatic analyzer and a problem that the structure becomes complicated.

The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer that solves the above problems and can prevent dew condensation in the reagent cooler and permit temperature uniformization with low power consumption and a simple structure.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the automatic analyzer defined in Claim <NUM>. Further advantageous features are set out in the dependent claims.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a reagent cooler with low power consumption and a simple structure, in which outside air is taken into the reagent cooler and cooled with the cooled air of the refrigerant cooler itself during that process and by blowing air into the reagent cooler, the inside of the reagent cooler is positively pressurized to prevent inflow of outside air through an aspiration hole and thereby prevent dew condensation and the temperature in the cooler can be made uniform by blowing the outside air.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail referring to drawings. In all the drawings that explain the embodiment, basically the same elements are designated by the same reference signs and repeated description thereof is omitted.

The first embodiment is an embodiment as an automatic analyzer that performs analysis by mixing a reagent and a sample and includes: a reagent cooler that stores a reagent vessel; a refrigerant pipe that is disposed inside an outer wall of the reagent cooler and circulates a refrigerant inside the outer wall; a blowing pipe that is disposed inside the outer wall and guides outside air existing outside the reagent cooler to the inside of the reagent cooler; and a blowing unit that is disposed at the blowing pipe and diffuses the outside air into the inside of the reagent cooler through the blowing pipe.

<FIG> is a plan view that shows an outline of an automatic analyzer <NUM>. The automatic analyzer <NUM> mixes a sample and a reagent and automatically analyzes the mixed sample to be measured. As shown in <FIG>, the automatic analyzer <NUM> includes a transport line <NUM>, a sample probe <NUM> for aspirating a sample, a reaction vessel supplier <NUM>, a reaction vessel supply mechanism <NUM>, a reaction vessel table <NUM> (incubator), a reaction measurement device <NUM>, a reagent stirring rod <NUM>, a reagent disk <NUM>, a reagent probe <NUM>, a reagent cooler <NUM>, and further an intake port <NUM>, a filter <NUM>, and a blowing unit <NUM>.

The reaction vessel supplier <NUM> holds a plurality of reaction vessels <NUM>. The reaction vessel supply mechanism <NUM> supplies a reaction vessel <NUM> held by the reaction vessel supplier <NUM> to the reaction vessel table <NUM>. The reaction vessel table <NUM> moves the supplied reaction vessel <NUM> to the sample discharge position where a sample is discharged from the sample probe <NUM>, by its own rotation.

The reagent cooler <NUM> stores a reagent vessel <NUM> that contains a reagent. The reagent cooler <NUM> has a cylindrical shape in which the side wall has an outer wall and an inner wall and its top forms a lid. <FIG> shows the inside of the reagent cooler <NUM> in which the lid is partially deleted. As illustrated in the figure, an aspiration hole <NUM> is made in the lid at the top of the reagent cooler <NUM>. As shown here, the reagent cooler <NUM> has an inner wall inside the outer wall.

The top of the reagent vessel <NUM> is open. The reagent stirring rod <NUM> is moved to the reagent stirring position where the reagent contained in a reagent vessel <NUM> is stirred. The reagent stirring rod <NUM> is inserted into the reagent vessel <NUM> through the aspiration hole <NUM> and the top of the reagent vessel <NUM>. Then, the reagent stirring rod <NUM> stirs the reagent contained in the reagent vessel by being rotated while inserted. The reagent stirring rod <NUM> that has stirred the reagent is pulled out of the reagent vessel <NUM>.

After that, the reagent probe <NUM> is moved to the reagent aspiration position where the reagent is aspirated from the reagent vessel <NUM>. Then, the reagent probe <NUM> is inserted into the reagent vessel <NUM> through the aspiration hole <NUM> and the top of the reagent vessel <NUM>. Then, the reagent probe <NUM> aspirates the reagent from the reagent vessel <NUM> while inserted.

The reagent probe <NUM> that has aspirated the reagent is pulled out of the reagent vessel <NUM>. After that, the reagent probe <NUM> is moved to the reagent discharge position and it discharges the reagent into a reaction vessel <NUM>. After the reagent is discharged, the reaction vessel table <NUM> moves the reaction vessel <NUM> to the sample discharge position where the sample is discharged from the sample probe <NUM>, by its own rotation.

The transport line <NUM> transports the sample vessel <NUM> held by a test tube rack <NUM> to the sample aspiration position where the sample is aspirated from the sample probe <NUM>. The sample vessel <NUM> contains a sample. The top of the sample vessel is open. After the sample vessel <NUM> is transported to the sample aspiration position, the sample probe <NUM> is inserted from the top of the sample vessel <NUM>. Then, the sample probe <NUM> aspirates the sample from the sample vessel <NUM> while inserted.

After aspiration of the sample, the sample probe <NUM> is pulled out of the sample vessel <NUM>. After that, the sample probe <NUM> is moved to the sample discharge position. After the sample probe <NUM> is moved to the sample discharge position, it discharges the aspirated sample into the reaction vessel <NUM>.

A stirring mechanism (not shown) stirs the reagent and sample that have been discharged into the reaction vessel <NUM>. The reagent and sample that have been stirred are left as they are, for a prescribed time. After that, the reaction vessel <NUM> is moved to a reaction measurement device <NUM>. Then, the reaction measurement device <NUM> measures the state of reaction between the reagent and sample contained in the reaction vessel <NUM> that has been moved.

At least one reagent vessel <NUM>, for example, four reagent vessels are disposed on the reagent disk <NUM> and as the reagent disk <NUM> rotates, the reagent to be stirred and aspirated by the reagent stirring rod <NUM> and reagent probe <NUM> can be replaced.

<FIG> is a sectional view taken along line A-A of the automatic analyzer. As shown in the figure, between the inner wall and outer wall of the side wall, lid and bottom of the reagent cooler <NUM>, refrigerant pipes <NUM> are provided in contact with the inner wall of the reagent cooler <NUM>. The refrigerant pipe <NUM> is made of a material with high thermal conductivity. The refrigerant pipe <NUM> is connected to a cooling device <NUM> and the refrigerant cooled by the cooling device <NUM> is circulated in the refrigerant pipe <NUM>. The refrigerant pipe <NUM> is cooled by circulation of the refrigerant and the inner wall of the reagent cooler <NUM> that is in contact with the refrigerant pipe <NUM> is cooled. The cool air from the inner wall is transmitted to the inside of the reagent cooler <NUM> so that the inside of the reagent cooler <NUM> is cooled to a given temperature.

As an example, the cooling temperature here is assumed to be approximately <NUM>. Furthermore, a material with low thermal conductivity is filled between the outer wall and inner wall of the reagent cooler <NUM> (shaded portion in <FIG>) so as to prevent the influence of the outside air temperature.

As shown in <FIG>, a large drain pipe <NUM> is provided at the bottom of the reagent cooler <NUM> and if dew condensation occurs inside the reagent cooler <NUM>, dew drops are discharged through the large drain pipe <NUM> outside the reagent cooler <NUM> downward in the figure.

<FIG> is a sectional view taken along line B-B of the configuration outline in <FIG>. A blowing pipe <NUM> is a pipe to take the air outside the reagent cooler <NUM> into the reagent cooler <NUM> through an intake port <NUM>. The blowing pipe <NUM> extends between the inner wall and outer wall of the reagent cooler <NUM> (shaded portions in <FIG>) and contacts the refrigerant pipes <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. The blowing pipe <NUM> is made of a material with high thermal conductivity and cooled by contact with the refrigerant pipes <NUM>. As it is cooled in this way, the gas passing inside the blowing pipe <NUM> is also cooled.

The intake port <NUM> and blowing port <NUM> are respectively attached to the start end and terminal end of the blowing pipe <NUM>. The intake port <NUM> is disposed outside the outer wall of the reagent cooler <NUM> and the blowing port <NUM> is disposed more inward than the inner wall of the reagent cooler <NUM> and along the inner wall. The blowing pipe <NUM> includes a blowing unit <NUM> and a filter <NUM> that prevents penetration of foreign matters on the intake side of the blowing unit <NUM>. One example of the blowing unit <NUM> may be a fan. The blowing unit <NUM> is located between the intake port <NUM> and the blowing port <NUM>. As a concrete example of the first embodiment, <FIG> shows that the unit is adjacent to the intake port <NUM>, but instead it may be adjacent to the blowing port <NUM>. <NUM> indicates the flow of air into the intake port <NUM>.

The length of the blowing pipe <NUM> is such a length that the temperature of the outside air taken through the intake port <NUM> at the time when the outside air flows from the blowing port <NUM> is within <NUM> from the temperature in the reagent cooler <NUM>. For example, if the temperature in the reagent cooler <NUM> is <NUM>, the length should be such that the temperature of the outside air is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. Specifically, the length of the portion of the blowing pipe <NUM> existing inside the outer wall of the side wall is set such that the difference between the temperature of the outside air at the time when the outside air is taken into the blowing unit <NUM> and the temperature in the reagent cooler <NUM> is <NUM> degrees or lower. <FIG> illustrates a case that the blowing pipe is disposed along about a half of the whole circumference (<NUM> degrees) of the side wall, but it is acceptable that the blowing pipe is disposed at least <NUM> degrees along the side wall. In other words, it is preferable that the portion of the blowing pipe <NUM> that exists inside the outer wall of the reagent cooler <NUM> should be disposed <NUM>° or larger along the side wall of the cylindrical reagent cooler <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a small drain pipe <NUM> is provided in the blowing pipe <NUM> between the intake port <NUM> and the blowing port <NUM>. Preferably the small drain pipe <NUM> is closer to the blowing port <NUM> than the half point of the blowing pipe <NUM>. Specifically, the start end and terminal end of the blowing pipe are respectively attached to the intake port and blowing port and the small drain pipe with a small diameter is provided closer to the blowing port than the half point of the blowing pipe.

The terminal end of the small drain pipe <NUM> is connected to the large drain pipe <NUM>. Consequently, the dew condensation water that is generated in the blowing pipe <NUM> when the outside air taken in from the intake port <NUM> by the blowing pipe <NUM> is cooled in the blowing pipe <NUM> passes from the small drain pipe <NUM> through the large drain pipe <NUM> and is discharged outside the reagent cooler <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. In other words, the blowing pipe <NUM> is connected to a pipe whose terminal end is outside the reagent cooler <NUM>. This pipe is comprised of a small drain pipe as a small diameter pipe connected to the blowing pipe <NUM>, and a large drain pipe that is provided at the bottom of the reagent cooler and connected to the small diameter pipe and has a larger diameter than the small diameter. The large drain pipe as the large diameter pipe has its terminal end outside the reagent cooler.

As described above, cooled outside air is introduced through the blowing pipe <NUM> into the reagent cooler <NUM> of the automatic analyzer according to this embodiment. Consequently, the reagent cooler <NUM> is positively pressurized to prevent inflow of outside air from the aspiration hole <NUM> in the lid and thereby prevent dew condensation. Furthermore, as the cooled outside air is blown from the blowing port <NUM> into the reagent cooler <NUM>, the air inside the reagent cooler <NUM> is stirred and the internal temperature is made uniform. Preferably, in order to improve the air stirring efficiency, the blowing port <NUM> of the blowing pipe <NUM> is disposed more inward than the inner wall of the reagent cooler <NUM> and along the inner wall.

Claim 1:
An automatic analyzer for performing analysis by mixing a reagent and a sample, the automatic analyzer comprising:
a reagent cooler (<NUM>) for storing a reagent vessel (<NUM>), the reagent cooler having an outer wall, an inner wall inside the outer wall and a lid with an aspiration hole;
a refrigerant pipe (<NUM>) disposed inside an outer wall of the reagent cooler and adapted to circulate a refrigerant inside the outer wall;
a blowing pipe (<NUM>) disposed inside the outer wall and adapted to guide outside air existing outside the reagent cooler to inside of the reagent cooler, the blowing pipe having an intake port (<NUM>) and a blowing port (<NUM>) respectively attached to its start end and to its terminal end; and
a blowing unit (<NUM>) disposed at the blowing pipe between the intake port and the blowing port adjacent to the intake port or to the blowing port and adapted to diffuse the outside air into the inside of the reagent cooler through the blowing pipe and the blowing port, wherein
the blowing port is disposed along the inner wall inward from the inner wall of the reagent cooler;
a pipe having a terminal end outside the reagent cooler is connected to the blowing pipe,
the pipe includes a small diameter pipe (<NUM>) connected to the blowing pipe between the intake port and the blowing port and a large diameter pipe (<NUM>) having a diameter larger than that of the small diameter pipe, provided at a bottom of the reagent cooler and connected to the small diameter pipe, and
the large diameter pipe has said terminal end outside the reagent cooler.