Patent ID: 12188953

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described.

First Embodiment

FIG.1is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an automatic analyzer. The automatic analyzer includes an incubator (reaction disk)887capable of mounting a plurality of reaction vessels888in which a mixture of a sample and a reagent is contained, a reagent container101that holds a reagent107, a nozzle104configured to suck the reagent107from the reagent container101, a reagent probe886configured to dispense the reagent sucked from the reagent container101to the reaction vessel888, a sample probe890configured to dispense the sample sucked from a sample container891to the reaction vessel888, a management unit110configured to manage a liquid volume of the reagent107in the reagent container101, and a display unit115configured to display information to a user. The reagent probe886is connected to a syringe885(metering pump) via a dispensing flow path770, and a valve772is provided in a middle of the dispensing flow path770. The nozzle104is connected to the syringe885via a dispensing flow path771, and a valve773is provided in a middle of the dispensing flow path771.

The reagent probe886performs suction of the reagent from the reagent container101via the nozzle104by the syringe885and discharge of the reagent to the reaction vessel888. The sample probe890is rotated vertically and horizontally by a moving mechanism (not shown) to move between the reaction vessel888and the sample container891, and sucks and discharges the sample by a suction and discharge mechanism (not shown).

The syringe885has a pressure sensor, detects a pressure in the dispensing flow paths770and771when sucking and discharging the sample based on a pressure signal in the flow path, and determines whether the reagent107is normally sucked from the nozzle104. For example, when the pressure sensor determines that the reagent107is not normally sucked, such as when the reagent107cannot be sucked from the nozzle104in a state where the liquid volume of the reagent107in the reagent container101is almost zero, the management unit110stops an apparatus operation so as not to output an abnormal analysis result.

FIG.2is a view of a corner portion of the reagent container as viewed from a top, in whichFIG.2Ashows a case where no reagent exists, andFIG.2Bshows a case where a reagent exists.

An emission unit102configured to emit light150is provided outside the reagent container101, and is disposed so that the light150transmits inside of the reagent container101. A light receiving unit103configured to receive the light150is provided outside the reagent container101, and is disposed on an optical path of the light150. The emission unit102is formed of a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode, and the light receiving unit103is formed of a light receiving element such as a photodiode.

When the reagent107does not exist on the optical path, the light150transmits through a wall surface105and a wall surface106of the reagent container101and is received by the light receiving unit103. On the other hand, when the reagent107exists on the optical path, the light150is absorbed by the reagent107and attenuated, and thus is not received by the light receiving unit103.

The emission unit102is disposed such that an incident angle is 0<θ<90° with respect to the wall surface105of the reagent container. The emission unit102is disposed such that the nozzle104does not exist on the optical path of the light150in order to prevent the light150from being blocked by the nozzle104. The light receiving unit103is disposed such that an emission angle is 0<θ<90° with respect to the wall surface106of the reagent container. The emission unit102and the light receiving unit103are provided at a height of a predetermined value corresponding to a liquid volume at which disturbance of an apparatus operation due to shortage of the reagent does not occur.

The emission unit102and the light receiving unit103are provided to face each other with the reagent container101being interposed therebetween at a height H at which the reagent107has a predetermined amount Va. For example, when the rectangular parallelepiped reagent container101has a bottom area S, the height H at which the liquid volume of the reagent107in the reagent container101becomes the predetermined amount Va is determined by H=Va/S=(Vd+Vt)/S. That is, the height H is a value obtained by adding a reagent liquid volume Vt required for an operation of analyzing the number of cells that can be stored in the incubator887to a minimum amount Vd at which the reagent cannot be sucked from the nozzle104, and then dividing by the bottom area S. For a reagent container with an undefined outer shape such as a pouch, the liquid height cannot be specified by calculation based on the above container cross-sectional area. In that case, the predetermined value Va is defined based on a height of a suction port of the nozzle and the liquid height.

FIG.3is a diagram showing a relationship between the reagent and the reagent container, in whichFIG.3Ais a diagram illustrating light absorption spectra of the reagent and the reagent container, andFIG.3Bis a diagram illustrating a correspondence relationship between wavelengths for the reagent and the reagent container.

A wavelength of the light150is selected based on a material of the reagent container101and a type of the reagent107. For example, in a case of a combination of the reagent107being a substantially colorless reagent A containing moisture that is transparent and transmits visible light and the reagent container101being a translucent or opaque colored rectangular parallelepiped container C having a color such as white formed of a plastic resin such as polyethylene or polystyrene, near-infrared light having a wavelength of λ1(about 1450 nm) or λ3(about 1940 nm) which is absorbed by the moisture contained in the reagent A and is well transmitted through the plastic resin is used. In addition, in a case of a combination of the reagent107being a colored reagent B such as white and the reagent container101being a transparent (substantially colorless) cylindrical container D made of glass such as borosilicate glass or soda-lime glass, visible light having a wavelength of λ2 (400 nm to 800 nm) which is dispersed or absorbed in the reagent B and is well transmitted through the container D is used. Similarly, in a case of a combination of the reagent A and the container D (colorless reagent and colorless container), one of λ1, λ2, λ3 is used, and in a case of a combination of the reagent B and the container C (colored reagent and colored container), λ1 or λ3 is used. In addition, the wavelength may be selected according to a variation of the combination.

In this way, by determining the wavelength of the light150based on the material of the reagent container and the type of the reagent, the liquid level of the reagent can be detected regardless of a shape of the container, for example, even for a reagent container having an undefined outer shape such as a pouch and an undefined angle between the wall surface and an optical axis. It is possible to eliminate restrictions on the arrangement such that the incident angle or the emission angle is 0<θ<90°.

Next, the management unit110will be described. The management unit110includes a calculation unit111configured to calculate a remaining liquid amount based on a used liquid amount, a determination unit112configured to determine, based on whether the light150is received by the light receiving unit103, whether a liquid level of the reagent107is equal to or less than the height H, an initialization unit113configured to initialize the liquid volume, and a warning unit114configured to display on the display unit115a message notifying that the liquid volume of the reagent107in the reagent container101is low, and prompt an operator to replace the reagent container101when the determination unit112determines that the liquid level of the reagent107is equal to or less than the height H.

Here, the calculated liquid volume of the reagent107in the reagent container101managed by the management unit110is defined as a management liquid volume V(x) (x is the number of times of suction), the liquid volume sucked from the reagent container101is defined as a suction liquid volume Vu, and the liquid volume of the reagent107contained in a new reagent container101is defined as an initial liquid volume V(0).

The calculation unit111calculates a current management liquid volume V(x) using the suction liquid volume Vu sucked from the reagent container101by driving the syringe885. The management liquid volume V(x) is a value (V(x)=V(x−1)−Vu) obtained by subtracting the suction liquid volume Vu from a management liquid volume V(x−1) before sucking the reagent.

The initialization unit113sets the management liquid volume V(x) to an initial value V(0). An initialization operation is performed according to a command from an initialization trigger116(such as a switch). When the reagent container101is replaced with a new one, by executing the initialization operation by the initialization trigger116, the management unit110recognizes that the current reagent container101contains an initial amount V(0).

When the determination unit112determines that the liquid level of the reagent107is equal to or less than H (the liquid volume is the predetermined amount Va), the management unit110corrects the management liquid volume V(x) to a value of the predetermined amount Va, and sets a correction flag F to 1. The correction flag is a flag for determining whether the correction is executed, and is 0 when a correction operation is not executed, and is 1 when the correction operation is executed. Here, when F=1 (the liquid volume correction operation has already been executed), even if the determination unit112determines that the liquid volume of the reagent107is equal to or less than the predetermined amount Va, the liquid volume correction operation is not executed.

FIG.4is a flowchart of a reagent suction operation performed by the management unit110.

First, the management unit110controls the nozzle104to suck the reagent107from the reagent container101(S401). At this time, the calculation unit111sets a value obtained by subtracting the suction liquid volume Vu from the management liquid volume V(x−1) before suction as the current management liquid volume V(x).

Next, the management unit110determines whether F=0 (S402). When F=1, the management unit110ends a reagent suction cycle without performing the liquid volume correction operation. When F=0, the determination unit112determines whether the liquid volume of the reagent107is equal to or less than Va (whether the light receiving unit103detects light) (S403). When the determination unit112determines that the liquid volume of the reagent107is greater than Va, the management unit110ends the reagent suction cycle, and when the determination unit112determines that the liquid volume of the reagent107is equal to or less than Va, the management unit110sets the management liquid volume V(x) to the predetermined value Va (S404). The management unit110sets F to 1 (S405), and controls the warning unit114to display a message for prompting reagent replacement on the display unit115(S406).

When the correction according to this flow is not performed, for example, when an actual liquid volume is larger than the management liquid volume, if the management liquid volume becomes 0, the reagent container101is replaced even though the actual liquid volume remains, and waste increases. In addition, when the actual liquid volume is smaller than the management liquid volume, the management liquid volume exists even if the actual liquid volume becomes 0, and therefore, suction (empty suction) is performed in a state where no reagent exists. However, according to this flow, such a problem can be avoided because when the actual liquid volume and the management liquid volume are different, the management liquid volume and the actual liquid volume are corrected to substantially the same value with the fact that the liquid level of the reagent107becomes equal to or less than H as a trigger.

FIG.5is a flowchart of an initialization operation of the management liquid volume V(x) by the management unit110.

Upon receiving a command from the initialization trigger116(S501), the initialization unit113determines whether the liquid volume of the reagent107is equal to or less than Va (S502). When it is determined that the liquid volume of the reagent107is equal to or less than Va, the initialization unit113does not execute the initialization operation. When it is determined that the liquid volume of the reagent107is greater than Va, the initialization unit113sets the management liquid volume V(x) to the initial value V(0) (S503), and sets F to 0 (S504).

This flow is significant in that the management unit110can perform the liquid volume correction. When the reagent is above the light150, the liquid volume correction can be performed by the flow ofFIG.4. On the other hand, when the liquid volume correction is not performed despite the reagent being below the light150, since there is no chance to perform the liquid volume correction, the empty suction of the reagent may be generated. Accordingly, an initialization of the management liquid volume can avoid the empty suction of the reagent. The initialization trigger116is activated by a user pressing a switch. However, a sensor that monitors an installation of the reagent container101may be provided, and the initialization trigger116may be activated based on a signal from the sensor.

According to the above embodiment, it is possible to accurately detect the reagent liquid volume regardless of the shape of the reagent container. A consistency of the initial liquid volume generated due to various factors (in a case where the user spills a new reagent container, initializes the management liquid volume for the reagent container in use, or the like) can be corrected. By correcting a reagent amount, it is possible to avoid an abnormality in the suction amount of the reagent and to prevent wasteful consumption of the sample. Further, a remaining amount of the reagent after use can be minimized, and a running cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

101: reagent container102: emission unit103: light receiving unit104: nozzle105: wall surface of reagent container on side of emission unit106: wall surface of reagent container on side of lightreceiving unit107: reagent inside reagent container110: management unit111: calculation unit112: determination unit113: initialization unit114: warning unit115: display unit116: initialization trigger770: flow path (on side of reagent probe)771: flow path (on side of nozzle)772: valve (on side of reagent probe)773: valve (on side of nozzle)885: syringe886: reagent probe887: incubator888: reaction vessel890: sample probe891: sample container