Automatic analysis device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073111-B2
Application number	US-201515319416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Jul 30, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

The present invention achieves an automatic analysis device which has a probe guard for which the range of motion for accessing a specimen container installation section is small and which can be moved without being removed from a specimen installation section. The directions of movement of a probe guard are the vertical direction of a specimen container erection mechanism and the horizontal direction within an upper region of the specimen container erection mechanism, and a specimen container can be accessed without the need to move the probe guard to outside the upper region of the specimen container erection mechanism. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve an automatic analysis device which has a probe guard for which the range of motion for accessing a specimen installation section is small and which can be moved without being removed from a specimen container erection mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic analysis device, comprising:
a specimen container arrangement mechanism in which a specimen container is arranged, the specimen container arrangement mechanism being configured to move the arranged specimen container;
a reagent container arrangement mechanism in which a reagent container is arranged;
a reaction container arrangement mechanism in which a reaction container for reacting a specimen with a reagent is arranged;
a specimen sampling mechanism including a probe for sucking the specimen from the specimen container arranged in the specimen container arrangement mechanism and discharging the specimen to the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arrangement mechanism;
a reagent sampling mechanism configured to suck the reagent from the reagent container arranged in the reagent container arrangement mechanism and discharge the reagent to the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arrangement mechanism;
a photometer configured to analyze the specimen in the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arrangement mechanism;
a control unit configured to control operation of the specimen container arrangement mechanism, the reagent container arrangement mechanism, the reaction container arrangement mechanism, the specimen sampling mechanism, and the reagent sampling mechanism;
a probe guard having a guard wall for surrounding the probe when the probe of the specimen sampling mechanism positions above the specimen container arrangement mechanism; and
a vertical and horizontal movement restriction section configured to restrict movement of the probe guard in vertical and horizontal directions in a state in which the probe guard positions above the specimen container arrangement mechanism, wherein
the vertical and horizontal movement restriction section includes a bearing provided at a center portion of the specimen container arrangement mechanism and a support portion integrally provided with the guard wall of the probe guard and supported by the bearing of the specimen container arrangement mechanism, and the bearing and the support portion of the probe guard restrict movement of the probe guard in the vertical and horizontal directions in a state in which the support portion of the probe guard is supported by the bearing.

2. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the support portion of the probe guard has a shaft, a guide plate extending in parallel with the shaft, and a guide pin provided on the guide plate;
the bearing has a shaft insertion hole, an insertion and extraction groove extending from a top surface of the bearing in an up-and-down direction, a horizontal movement groove communicating with the insertion and extraction groove and extending in the horizontal direction, and a fixing groove communicating with a center portion of the insertion and extraction groove and extending in the up-and-down direction; and
the probe guard is supported by the bearing in such a way that the shaft of the probe guard is inserted into the shaft insertion hole and the guide pin provided on the guide plate is inserted into the horizontal movement groove, passes through the horizontal movement groove, and is inserted into the fixing groove.

3. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
the guard wall of the probe guard is a wall-shaped member parallel with a moving track of the probe of the specimen sampling mechanism above the specimen container arrangement mechanism and erected in an up-and-down direction.

4. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
the probe guard is held by a center portion of the specimen container arrangement mechanism and an outer circumferential portion of the specimen container arrangement mechanism.

5. The automatic analysis device according to claim 4 , further comprising
a sensor configured to detect whether or not the probe guard is held by the specimen container arrangement mechanism.

6. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
in the case where the control unit detects that the probe guard is not held by the specimen container arrangement mechanism on the basis of a signal from a sensor, the control unit stops operation of the specimen sampling mechanism and the specimen container arrangement mechanism.

7. An automatic analysis device, comprising:
a specimen container arrangement mechanism in which a specimen container is arranged, the specimen container arrangement mechanism being configured to move the arranged specimen container;
a reagent container arrangement mechanism in which a reagent container is arranged;
a reaction container arrangement mechanism in which a reaction container for reacting a specimen with a reagent is arranged;
a specimen sampling mechanism including a probe for sucking the specimen from the specimen container arranged in the specimen container arrangement mechanism and discharging the specimen to the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arrangement mechanism;
a reagent sampling mechanism configured to suck the reagent from the reagent container arranged in the reagent container arrangement mechanism and discharge the reagent to the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arrangement mechanism;
a photometer configured to analyze the specimen in the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arrangement mechanism;
a control unit configured to control operation of the specimen container arrangement mechanism, the reagent container arrangement mechanism, the reaction container arrangement mechanism, the specimen sampling mechanism, and the reagent sampling mechanism;
a probe guard having a guard wall for surrounding the probe when the probe of the specimen sampling mechanism positions above the specimen container arrangement mechanism; and
a vertical and horizontal movement restriction section configured to restrict movement of the probe guard in vertical and horizontal directions in a state in which the probe guard positions above the specimen container arrangement mechanism, wherein
the probe guard has a support portion supported by a center portion of the specimen container arrangement mechanism and an outer wall portion supported by an outer circumferential portion of the specimen container arrangement mechanism, and the outer wall portion of the probe guard positions on a track of the probe of the specimen sampling mechanism within a range in which the probe guard is moved around the support portion in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction so that the outer wall portion prevents the probe from entering a position above the specimen container arrangement mechanism.

8. The automatic analysis device according to claim 2 , further comprising
a shutter arranged on the side of an outer circumferential portion of the specimen container arrangement mechanism, the shutter being moved to a track of the probe when the probe guard is removed from the specimen container arrangement mechanism so as to prevent the probe from entering a position above the specimen container arrangement mechanism.

9. The automatic analysis device according to claim 2 , wherein
the automatic analysis device further includes a probe guard installation presence/absence detection sensor configured to detect whether or not the probe guard is attached to the specimen container arrangement mechanism and a display section, wherein the control unit displays an alarm on the display section in the case where the probe guard installation presence/absence detection sensor detects that the probe guard is not attached to the specimen container arrangement mechanism.

10.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Setomaru Takeshi
• Chiba Hideyasu

Classifications

• G01N35/00584

  Control arrangements for automatic analysers · CPC title

• G01N35/025 Primary

  having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes · CPC title

• G01N21/77

  by observing the effect on a chemical indicator · CPC title

• G01N35/1009

  Characterised by arrangements for controlling the aspiration or dispense of liquids · CPC title