Automatic analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023079568-A1
Application number	US-202117802215-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2021
Priority date	Mar 11, 2020
Publication date	Mar 16, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is an automatic analyzer capable of detecting a specimen vessel even when a barcode label is not attached to the specimen vessel. Included are a reagent specimen disk including a mounting unit for mounting a specimen vessel that stores a specimen to be analyzed on an outer peripheral portion thereof, a two-dimensional code arranged on the reagent specimen disk at a back position of the mounting unit, a barcode arranged on a side surface of the specimen vessel, a sensor arranged at a front position of the mounting unit and capable of reading the two-dimensional code and the barcode, and a control unit for determining whether the specimen vessel is mounted on the mounting unit based on whether a contrast value of the light reflected from the two-dimensional code is equal to or greater than a threshold set in advance, by using an output signal of the sensor.

First claim

1 . An automatic analyzer comprising:
a mounting unit for mounting a specimen vessel that stores a specimen to be analyzed, a first identifier arranged at a back position of the mounting unit, a reading unit arranged at a front position of the mounting unit and reading the first identifier, and a control unit for determining whether the specimen vessel is mounted on the mounting unit based on whether a contrast value of the light reflected from the first identifier is equal to or greater than a threshold, by using a signal read by the reading unit.

2 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the first identifier is a two-dimensional code.

3 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 2 , wherein
the two-dimensional code is a data matrix.

4 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 2 , wherein
the contrast value is calculated from the signals of the black part and the white part of the two-dimensional code.

5 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 2 , wherein
a plurality of the two-dimensional codes are arranged, and the control unit determines the type of the specimen vessel based on the number of the two-dimensional code read by the reading unit.

6 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 2 , wherein
a second identifier is arranged on a side surface of the specimen vessel, and the reading unit reads the second identifier.

7 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 6 , wherein
the second identifier is a barcode.

8 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 6 , wherein
the control unit identifies a specimen in the specimen vessel based on the second identifier read by the reading unit.

9 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a reagent specimen disk, wherein the mounting unit is located at an outer peripheral portion of the reagent specimen disk.

10 . The automatic analyzer according to claim 9 , wherein
the reagent specimen disk includes an upper cover, and the two-dimensional code is suspended from the upper cover.

11 . An automatic analyzer comprising:
a reagent specimen disk including a mounting unit for mounting a specimen vessel that stores a specimen to be analyzed on an outer peripheral portion thereof, a two-dimensional code arranged on the reagent specimen disk at a back position of the mounting unit, a barcode arranged on a side surface of the specimen vessel, a reading unit arranged at a front position of the mounting unit and capable of reading the two-dimensional code and the barcode; and a control unit for determining whether the specimen vessel is mounted on the mounting unit based on whether a contrast value of the light reflected from the two-dimensional code is equal to or greater than a threshold set in advance, by using an output signal of the reading unit.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Baba Shunsuke
• Inabe Toshiyuki

Classifications

• G01N35/00732 Primary

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

• G01N2035/0491

  Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control · CPC title

• G01N2035/0443

  for reagents · CPC title

• G01N35/04 Primary

  Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N2035/0412

  Block or rack elements with a single row of samples · CPC title