阅读说明：本技术 自动分析装置以及方法 (Automatic analysis device and method ) 是由 佐佐木信彦 山田巧 常盘弘二 薮谷千枝 于 2020-04-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的课题在于,在制造商的试剂容器的截面积不同的情况下,在预约数量的测定结束前试剂容器为空,或在结束时还有剩余。每次分注时测定液面高度,根据试剂容器截面积和该液面高度来计算试剂容器的剩余测定次数(S211),计数从分注计划起至分注的测定委托作为预约数量,在(剩余测定次数－预约数量)比规定量多时,判定为能使用该试剂容器并进行分注计划。并且,累积剩余测定次数相比前次值而比预期减少得多的次数、减少得少的次数,将该累积值作为误差计数(S215),计算误差比例(S219)。而且,使用误差比例来修正预约数量(S220)。另外,在误差计数超过规定值的情况下,判定并通知试剂容器有气泡等异常,并使误差计数复位(S216、S217)。(The present invention addresses the problem of leaving a reagent container empty or remaining at the end of measurement of a predetermined number of times when the cross-sectional areas of reagent containers of manufacturers are different. The liquid surface height is measured for each dispensing, the remaining number of times of measurement of the reagent container is calculated from the reagent container cross-sectional area and the liquid surface height (S211), a measurement request from the dispensing plan to the dispensing is counted as a reserved number, and when (the remaining number of times of measurement-the reserved number) is more than a predetermined amount, it is determined that the dispensing plan can be performed using the reagent container. Then, the number of times that the remaining number of measurements is decreased more than expected or less than expected is accumulated, and the accumulated value is regarded as an error count (S215), and an error ratio is calculated (S219). Then, the reserved number is corrected using the error ratio (S220). When the error count exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that an abnormality such as a bubble has occurred in the reagent container and notified, and the error count is reset (S216, S217).)

1. An automatic analyzer is characterized by comprising:

a reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent filled in a reagent container;

a liquid level detection unit for detecting the liquid level of the reagent by the reagent dispensing mechanism; and

a control unit that calculates a remaining number of measurements from the detected height of the liquid surface, and determines whether or not the reagent container can be used based on the remaining number of measurements and a predetermined number of measurement requests from a dispensing plan to dispensing,

The control unit corrects the reserved number based on an error count of the remaining number of measurements.

2. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1,

comprises a plurality of vial groups each including the reagent container,

the control unit controls to use the other vial group when the reserved number of the reagent containers of one vial group exceeds the remaining number of measurements.

3. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1,

the control unit accumulates the number of times the calculated remaining number of measurements is greater or less than expected as the error count.

4. The automatic analysis device according to claim 3,

the control unit calculates an error ratio by dividing the error count by the number of times the reagent is dispensed, and corrects the reserved amount based on the error ratio.

5. The automatic analysis device according to claim 4,

the control unit corrects the reserved amount based on the error ratio after the number of times of dispensing the reagent container reaches a predetermined value or more.

6. The automatic analysis device according to claim 4,

The control unit corrects the threshold value as an upper limit value when the reserved amount changes to exceed a preset threshold value due to correction of the reserved amount based on the error ratio.

7. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1,

the control unit determines that the reagent container is abnormal when the error count exceeds a preset threshold.

8. The automatic analysis device according to claim 7,

the control unit outputs the abnormality of the reagent container to an output unit when the reagent container is determined to be abnormal.

9. An automatic analysis method of an automatic analysis device, characterized in that,

the automatic analyzer includes: a reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent filled in a reagent container; a liquid level detection unit for detecting the liquid level of the reagent by the reagent dispensing mechanism; and a control unit that calculates a remaining number of measurements from the detected height of the liquid surface, and determines whether or not the reagent container can be used based on the remaining number of measurements and a predetermined number of measurement requests from a dispensing plan to dispensing,

The control unit corrects the reserved number based on an error count of the remaining number of measurements.

10. The automated analysis method according to claim 9,

the automatic analyzer includes a plurality of vial groups each including the reagent container,

the control unit controls to use the other vial group when the reserved number of the reagent containers of one vial group exceeds the remaining number of measurements.

11. The automated analysis method according to claim 9,

the control unit accumulates the number of times the calculated remaining number of measurements is greater or less than expected as the error count.

12. The automated analysis method according to claim 11,

the control unit calculates an error ratio by dividing the error count by the number of times the reagent is dispensed, and corrects the reserved amount based on the error ratio.

13. The automated analysis method according to claim 12,

the control unit corrects the reserved amount based on the error ratio after the number of times of dispensing the reagent container reaches a predetermined value or more.

14. The automated analysis method according to claim 12,

the control unit corrects the threshold value as an upper limit value when the reserved amount changes to exceed a preset threshold value due to correction of the reserved amount based on the error ratio.

15. The automated analysis method according to claim 9,

the control unit determines that the reagent container is abnormal when the error count exceeds a preset threshold.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer, and more particularly to a technique for managing the remaining amounts of a sample and a reagent.

Background

In a conventional automatic analyzer, when a reagent or a sample is dispensed from a sample or a reagent container, the liquid level in the container is measured, and the remaining number of times of measurement of the container is calculated from the height and the cross-sectional area of the container registered in the analyzer.

In a measurement item in which a reagent is dispensed from a plurality of reagent containers, there is a time interval from the dispensing of the first reagent to the dispensing of the last reagent. The possibility of dispensing a reagent container into which a reagent is dispensed in the latter half of the analysis is determined based on the remaining number of measurements calculated at the time of dispensing. If it is determined that dispensing up to the last reagent container is possible, the apparatus plans dispensing of the measurement item.

However, the cross-sectional area of the reagent container may vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer, and in this case, an error may occur in the calculation result of the remaining number of measurements. In patent document 1, the reagent remaining amount (remaining number of measurements) is corrected by calculating the preliminary reagent remaining amount from the previous dispensing data. In patent document 2, the remaining amount of the reagent (the number of remaining measurements) is calculated using a plurality of remaining amount formulas, and the most appropriate remaining amount of the reagent is determined, thereby correcting the remaining amount of the reagent.

Further, when air bubbles are generated on the surface of the reagent when the reagent container is installed, there is a possibility that an error occurs in the number of remaining measurements. Therefore, patent document 3 proposes the following functions: the method includes calculating an approximation formula of the reagent liquid level height from the previous dispensing data, and detecting an abnormality such as the occurrence of a bubble when the actual reagent liquid level height differs from the reagent liquid level height obtained from the approximation formula.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

As described above, in a case where measurement items to be dispensed with reagents from a plurality of reagent containers are analyzed continuously and continuously in a state where an error occurs in calculation of the remaining number of measurements based on an error in the cross-sectional area of the reagent container, there is a possibility that a reagent is insufficient during a period from a dispensing plan of a reagent container in the second half of the analysis to actual dispensing, or a reagent may remain after dispensing even if the dispensing plan is performed so as to run out of the reagent.

In the method of patent document 1, when the number of dispensing times is small, sufficient correction accuracy may not be obtained. If the remaining reagent amount is corrected in this state, the remaining reagent amount may vary due to an error in the correction itself, and the user may feel distrust in the device that displays the remaining reagent amount on the user interface. In patent document 2, since a plurality of margin formulas are used, it is necessary to store the margin formulas of all reagent containers of the reagent manufacturer, and the algorithm may become huge. Further, the timing when bubbles are generated on the surface of the reagent is highly likely when the device is provided with a reagent container, and even if the method of patent document 3 is used to obtain an approximation formula based on the liquid level height at the beginning of dispensing, it is possible to obtain an approximation formula in a state where bubbles are generated.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to provide an automatic analyzer and a method that can eliminate the influence of bubbles and can use up a reagent container even when analysis is continuously and continuously performed on measurement items.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an automatic analyzer comprising: a reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent filled in a reagent container; a liquid surface detection unit for detecting the liquid surface of the reagent by the reagent dispensing mechanism; and a control unit that calculates the remaining number of measurements from the detected height of the liquid level, and determines whether or not the reagent container can be used based on the remaining number of measurements and the number of reservations for measurement requests from the dispensing plan to the dispensing, wherein the control unit corrects the number of reservations based on an error count of the remaining number of measurements.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic analyzer which does not have the influence of bubbles and can use up a reagent container in the second half of analysis even when a measurement item is continuously and continuously analyzed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a reagent dispensing process.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the remaining amount management of the reagent in example 1.

Fig. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of the automatic analyzer according to embodiment 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the reagent disk of example 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating liquid sloshing on the reagent surface caused by rotation of the reagent disk in example 1.

Fig. 6 is a view showing that the reagent probe is lowered and stopped at the time of liquid level detection in example 1 when the liquid level is lowered by liquid sloshing.

Fig. 7 is a diagram of example 1 in which the reagent probe is lowered when the liquid surface is high due to liquid sloshing and stopped at the time of liquid surface detection.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating small bubbles on the surface of the reagent in example 1.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which small bubbles are present on the surface of the reagent in example 1 and the bubbles are slightly broken by the pumping operation.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating large bubbles on the surface of the reagent in example 1.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which large bubbles on the surface of the reagent in example 1 are broken.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a reagent container having a smaller cross-sectional area than that recognized by the device in example 1.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view for explaining a reagent pack of example 1 having a larger cross-sectional area than the device recognizes.

Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining operation timing from dispensing schedule to dispensing of reagent in example 1.

Description of the symbols

100-automatic analyzer, 101-sample disk, 102-sample, 103-sample container, 104-reaction disk, 106-sample dispensing mechanism, 107-reagent disk, 108-reagent, 109-reagent container, 110-reagent dispensing mechanism, 111-sonic wave irradiation mechanism, 112-stirring mechanism, 113-constant temperature bath circulating liquid, 114-photometric mechanism, 115-reaction container cleaning mechanism, 116-control circuit, 117-photometric circuit, 118-computer, 119-input unit, 120-output unit, 121-overall control unit, 122-reaction liquid, 123-arithmetic unit, 124-storage unit, 202-reaction container, 301-reagent disk rotation direction, 302-shaking of reagent surface, 303-actual reagent liquid level height, 311-descending direction of reagent dispensing mechanism, 321-bubbles on reagent surface, 331-actual reagent container cross-sectional area, 332-cross-sectional area recognized by analyzer, 401-timing of dispensing schedule, 402-timing of dispensing sample, 403-timing of dispensing R1 reagent, 404-timing of dispensing R3 reagent.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in order with reference to the drawings. In the following description, an example in which the number of remaining measurements is shown as the remaining amount of the reagent in the reagent container is described, but the remaining amount of the reagent may be calculated using other numerical values.

(example 1)