Apparatus and method for automated analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11009518-B2
Application number	US-201816208757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 5, 2017
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

There is provided an automated analyzer which can eliminate static charge on receptacles storing analytes or reagents to thereby offer improved accuracy of analysis. The automated analyzer comprises: a receptacle carrier mechanism operative to hold a plurality of receptacles storing liquid and to carry the held receptacles in a given direction; a reader device for reading identification information of the receptacles carried by the receptacle carrier mechanism; a static eliminator for eliminating static charge on the receptacles carried by the receptacle carrier mechanism; and an input/output controller for causing the static eliminator to carry out the elimination of the static charge in synchronism with successive reading by the reader device of the identification information of the receptacles carried by the receptacle carrier mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a receptacle carrier mechanism operative to hold a plurality of receptacles storing liquid and to carry the plurality of receptacles in a given direction;
a reader device to read identification information of the plurality of receptacles, which are storing the liquid, carried by the receptacle carrier mechanism;
a static eliminator to eliminate static charge on the plurality of receptacles, which are storing the liquid, carried by the receptacle carrier mechanism; and
an input/output controller programmed or configured to:
rotate the receptacle carrier mechanism at least once, wherein the plurality of receptacles held on the receptacle carrier mechanism are rotationally carried to make at least one turn circumferentially;
during a rotation of the receptacle carrier mechanism, cause the static eliminator to carry out an elimination of the static charge on the plurality of receptacles, which are storing the liquid, in synchronism with successive reading by the reader device of the identification information of the plurality of receptacles, which are storing the liquid, carried by the receptacle carrier mechanism, wherein the static eliminator is operated continuously during rotation of the receptacle carrier mechanism; and
store, in memory, the identification information of the plurality of receptacles in association with positions of the plurality of receptacles in the receptacle carrier mechanism.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
an enclosure equipped with a cover member that provides a cover over said receptacle carrier mechanism; and
an open/close sensor mounted on the cover member,
wherein said input/output controller is programmed or configured to:
cause said reader device to carry out said reading and said static eliminator to carry out said elimination of the static charge whenever the open/close sensor detects opening or closing of the cover member.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a manual control unit connected with said input/output controller, and wherein the input/output controller is programmed or configured to:
cause said reader device to carry out said reading and said static eliminator to carry out said elimination of the static charge whenever an input is made through the manual control unit to enter a receptacle exchange mode in which the receptacles held in said receptacle carrier mechanism are exchanged.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said input/output controller is programmed or configured to:
cause said reader device to carry out said reading and said static eliminator to carry out said elimination of the static charge if it is determined that a measurement step can be started while said receptacle carrier mechanism is in operation.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said input/output controller is programmed or configured to:
cause said reader device to carry out said reading and said static eliminator to carry out said elimination of the static charge in response to activation of a power supply.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the receptacle carrier mechanism comprises:
a sample turntable holding a first plurality of receptacles, one or more receptacles of the first plurality of receptacles storing an analyte to be examined; and
a reagent turntable holding a second plurality of receptacles, one or more receptacles of the second plurality of receptacles storing a reagent, and wherein said reader device and said static eliminator are mounted on at least one of the sample turntable and the reagent turntable.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a pipette for drawing in the liquid from within a selected one of the plurality of receptacles held by said receptacle carrier mechanism; and
a liquid level detecting mechanism for detecting a tip of the pipette and a level of the liquid stored in the selected receptacle,
wherein said input/output controller causes the tip of the pipette to be immersed to a given depth in the liquid within the selected receptacle on the basis of the level of the liquid detected by the liquid level detecting mechanism.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said input/output controller is further programmed or configured to:
determine whether a measurement step can be started, wherein, when determining whether the measurement step can be started, said input/output controller is programmed or configured to:
determine whether a cover member is in a closed state based on an input signal from one or more open/close sensors.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the rotation of the receptacle carrier mechanism is a first rotation of the receptacle carrier mechanism, wherein the at least one turn circumferentially is at least one first turn circumferentially, and wherein said input/output controller is further programmed or configured to:
rotate the receptacle carrier mechanism based on determining that the measurement step can be started, wherein the plurality of receptacles held on the receptacle carrier mechanism are rotationally carried to make at least one second turn circumferentially;
during a second rotation of the receptacle carrier mechanism, cause the static eliminator to carry out an elimination of a static charge on the plurality of receptacles in synchronism with successive reading by the reader device of second identification information of the plurality of receptacles carried by the receptacle carrier mechanism, wherein the static eliminator is operated continuously during the second rotation of the receptacle carrier mechanism; and
store, in the memory, the second identification information of the plurality of receptacles in association with positions of the plurality of receptacles in the receptacle carrier mechanism, wherein, when storing the second identification information of the plurality of receptacles in association with positions of the plurality of receptacles in the receptacle carrier mechanism, the input/output controller is programmed or configured to:
overwrite the identification information of the plurality of receptacles previously stored in the memory with the second identification information of the plurality of receptacles.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the receptacle carrier mechanism comprises:
a sample turntable holding a first plurality of receptacles, one or more receptacles of the first plurality of receptacles storing an analyte to be examined; and
wherein said input/output controller is further programmed or configured to:
carry out a measurement step based on determining that the measurement step can be started, wherein, when carrying out the measurement, the input/output controller is programmed or configured to:

control a liquid level sensor to detect a liquid level of the analyte in each of the one or more receptacles of the first plurality of receptacles.

Assignees

• Jeol Ltd

Inventors

• Kitamura Takeshi

Classifications

• G01N35/00584 Primary

  Control arrangements for automatic analysers · CPC title

• G01N35/00732

  Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers · CPC title

• B01L2300/021

  Identification, e.g. bar codes · CPC title

• G01N33/50

  Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing (measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms, compositions or test papers therefor; processes for forming such compositions, condition responsive control in microbiological or enzymological processes C12Q) · CPC title

• B67B3/2033

  comprising carousel co-rotating capping heads · CPC title