Automatic analysis device and automatic analysis method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12241905-B2
Application number	US-202017295151-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Mar 11, 2019
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

In an automatic analysis device, it is possible during specimen analysis to add/deposit one rack at a time without stopping the analysis, and it is easy to ascertain the analysis sequence. The analyzer has an analysis module, a rack transport module for transporting a specimen rack in which a specimen container storing a specimen is loaded, and a control device. The rack transport module includes a rack supply part for supplying a specimen rack, a rack accommodating part for accommodating a specimen rack, a rack transport line for transporting a specimen rack supplied from the rack supply part, a dispensing line for transporting a specimen rack to the analysis module, and a rack rotor for transferring a specimen rack between the rack transport line and the dispensing line. Operation of the rack supply part for supplying a specimen rack can be stopped independently of the operation of the analysis module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic analysis device, comprising:
an analysis module for quantitatively or qualitatively analyzing specific components contained in a biological specimen, including a reaction disk, a reagent disk, a dispensing line that carries in a specimen rack in which one or more specimen containers storing a specimen to be analyzed are loaded, a specimen dispensing mechanism, a reagent dispensing mechanism, and a specimen identification device;
a rack transport module that transports the specimen rack; and
a controller programmed to control operations of the analysis module and the rack transport module, wherein
the rack transport module includes:
a rack supply part that supplies the specimen rack;
a rack accommodating part that accommodates the specimen rack;
a rack transport line that transports the specimen rack supplied from the rack supply part;
the dispensing line carrying in the specimen rack in which the one or more specimen containers storing a specimen to be analyzed are loaded to the analysis module; and
a rack rotor that transfers the specimen rack between the rack transport line and the dispensing line,

the rack supply part is configured such that the specimen rack is able to be loaded into the rack transport line using a rack tray on which a plurality of specimen racks are able to be loaded,
the rack accommodating part accommodates the specimen rack transported from the rack transport line and is able to be accommodated using the rack tray, and
the rack tray is a cantilever rack tray including a cantilever-shaped handle that allows an operator to additionally load a specimen rack from a front of the rack supply part.

2. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller controls an operation of the rack accommodating part for accommodating the specimen rack and the operation of the rack accommodating part is stoppable by the controller independently of the operation of the analysis module.

3. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller controls a supply operation of the rack supply part, and
after the supply operation of the rack supply part is stopped by the controller, the operator uses the cantilever rack tray to additionally load the specimen rack into the rack transport line.

4. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller controls an accommodating operation of the rack accommodating part, and
after the accommodating operation of the rack accommodating part is stopped by the controller, the operator uses the cantilever rack tray to accommodate the specimen rack from the rack transport line.

5. The automatic analysis device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a supply-side rack extrusion mechanism that extrudes the specimen rack from the rack supply part to the rack transport line; and
a carry-out side rack extrusion mechanism that extrudes the specimen rack from the rack transport line to the rack accommodating part, wherein
a rack tray having a same shape as the cantilever rack tray is able to be taken out from an upstream side of the supply-side rack extrusion mechanism or a downstream side of the carry-out side rack extrusion mechanism.

6. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller controls a supply operation of the rack supply part, and
after the supply operation of the rack supply part is stopped by the controller, the supply operation of the rack supply part is restarted by a manual operation of an operator or when a quantity of specimen racks detected by a sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

7. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
an operation of the rack supply part for supplying a specimen rack is stoppable independently of the operation of the analysis module.

8. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein
a handle of the cantilever rack tray is shorter than the specimen rack by one or more of the specimen containers on a side where the specimen rack is additionally loaded.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• HIROKI Kohei
• Yasui Akihiro
• Setomaru Takeshi

Classifications

• G01N2035/0465

  Loading or unloading the conveyor · CPC title

• G01N2035/0441

  for samples · CPC title

• G01N2035/0415

  moving in two dimensions in a horizontal plane · CPC title

• G01N35/026

  having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes · CPC title

• G01N35/025

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