Automatic analysis device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10203346-B2
Application number	US-201415028807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Oct 22, 2013
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

Provided is an automatic analysis device capable of reducing a reagent cost. In the present invention, in each mixed reagent preparation cycle, an amount of mixed reagent for N analyses is mixed and prepared, and an amount of mixed reagent for one analysis is dispensed from the amount of mixed reagent for N analyses and used to analyze one sample. Minimum (Nmin) and maximum (Nmax) values for N are determined for a control unit beforehand, and if the analysis of J samples is requested, the control unit sets the value of N at the time of a mixed reagent preparation cycle within a range from Nmin to Nmax so as to minimize the remaining mixed reagent.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic analysis device comprising:
a reaction mixture that includes a plurality of reagents that are mixed together into a mixed reagent;
reactor vessels;
a dispensing unit that prepares an amount of the mixed reagent needed to conduct a given number of analyses;
a display unit; and
a control unit that is configured to set the amount of the mixed reagent to be prepared to a range between a maximum value and a minimum value when a number of analyses requested by a user exceeds the given number of analyses, so as to minimize a surplus of the mixed reagent, wherein
the dispensing unit collectively prepares an amount of the mixed reagent for N analyses for each time mixed reagents are prepared (mixed reagent preparation cycles),
the control unit sets a value of N for each of the mixed reagent preparation cycles within a range from Nmin to Nmax in a case where Nmin which is a minimum value of the value of N and Nmax which is a maximum value thereof are stored in a memory of the automatic analysis device and analyses of J samples are requested while an amount of sample for one analysis is considered to be one sample, and sets the value of N for each of the mixed reagent preparation cycles to any one in a range of Nmax≥N≥Nmin so as to minimize the surplus of the mixed reagent after the analyses of the J samples are completed,
the dispensing unit is configured to dispense one sample and an amount of mixed reagent for one analysis in the amount of the mixed reagent for N analyses into each of the reactor vessels,
the dispensing unit is configured to perform dispensing processing based on the calculation result by the control unit, and
the control unit executes the mixed reagent preparation cycle that is set through first processing in which Q that is an integral quotient and R that is a remainder are calculated by applying (J/Nmax=Q×Nmax+R), and second processing in which the value of N is set to Nmin in a first cycle that is a cycle of the mixed reagent preparation cycles and the value of N is set to (Nmax+R−Nmin) in a second cycle that is another cycle thereof in a case of a first condition of Q≥1 and 0<R<Nmin;
the dispensing unit has a dispensing accuracy guarantee range, and
the given number of analyses is set based on a lower limit of the dispensing accuracy guarantee range of the dispensing unit, and
a fluorescence detection mechanism that performs fluorescence detection on the mixed reagent in the reactor vessels, wherein the control unit manages the fluorescence detection in the reactor vessels, and outputs a signal to the display unit to display the detection results.

2. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit sets the mixed reagent preparation cycle to (Q+1) times.

3. The automatic analysis device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit sets the value of N to Nmax in a cycle excluding the first and second cycles of the (Q+1) mixed reagent preparation cycles under the first condition of the second processing in a case of Q≥2.

4. The automatic analysis device according to claim 3 ,
wherein in the second processing, the control unit further sets the value of N to Nmin in a case of a second condition of Q=0 and R<Nmin, sets the value of N to R in a case of a third condition of Q=0 and R≥Nmin, sets the value of N to R in a third cycle that is a cycle of the (Q+1) mixed reagent preparation cycles in a case of a fourth condition of Q≥1 and R≥Nmin or Q≥1 and R=0, and sets the value of N to Nmax in a cycle excluding the third cycle.

5. The automatic analysis device according to claim 2 ,
wherein in a case of the first condition, instead of the second processing, the control unit sets the value of N to Nmin in all the mixed reagent preparation cycles in a case of a fifth condition of ((Q+1)×Nmin)≥J, and
wherein in a case of a sixth condition of ((Q+1)×Nmin)<J, in a repetitive number ith mixed reagent preparation cycle, the control unit sets the value of N to Nmax in a cycle of the (Q+1) mixed reagent preparation cycles in a case of a seventh condition of (i×Nmax)+(Q−i+1)×Nmin≤J, sets the value of N to J−(i−1)×Nmax−(Q−i+1)×Nmin in a cycle that is a cycle of the mixed reagent preparation cycles excluding the seventh condition from (Q+1) times in a case of an eighth condition of (i×Nmax)+(Q−i+1)×Nmin>J, and sets the value of N to Nmin in a cycle excluding the eighth condition.

6. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit monitors K indicating an amount for a remaining number of times of analyses which remain while having a reagent of the plurality of reagents as a target, calculates (K−J) in a case where analyses of the J samples are requested, executes the first and second processing in a case of (K−J)≥Nmin, calculates Q that is the integral quotient and R that is the remainder by applying (K/Nmax=Q×Nmax+R) instead of the first processing in a case of (K−J)<Nmin, and executes the mixed reagent preparation cycle which is set through the second processing by applying the Q and the R.

7. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the automatic analysis device analyzes the sample by applying an amount of mixed reagent for M analyses after the analyses of the J samples are completed in a case where there is a surplus of the mixed reagent for M analyses (M<Nmin) and in a case where a request of an analysis of a sample is newly generated within a predetermined period of time.

8. The automatic analysis device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the control unit notifies a user of a fact that there is a surplus of an amount of the mixed reagent for analyses less than Nmin in a case of a condition which corresponds a second condition of the second processing.

9. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a case where an additionally requested sample is generated, by applying the number (J4=J2+J3) of requested samples obtained by adding the number (J2) of requested samples before preparation of the mixed reagent and the number (J3) of additionally requested samples, instead of the first processing, Q that is the integral quotient and R that is the remainder are calculated by applying (J4/Nmax=Q×Nmax+R), and the mixed reagent preparation cycle set through the second processing by applying the Q and the R is executed.

10. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the automatic analysis device is a genetic test device.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Morishima Daisuke
• Maeda Kohshi

Classifications

• G01N2035/00673

  of reagents · CPC title

• G01N35/00663 Primary

  of consumables · CPC title

• G01N35/1002

  Reagent dispensers · CPC title

• G01N35/00693

  Calibration · CPC title

• G01N35/00594 Primary

  Quality control, including calibration or testing of components of the analyser · CPC title