Method for washing dispensing probe included in automated analyzer, and automated analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024230700-A1
Application number	US-202118000540-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2021
Priority date	Jun 23, 2020
Publication date	Jul 11, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide a technique capable of enhancing a cleaning effect of a dispensing probe while preventing an influence on an analysis throughput. In a method according to the invention, an inner surface of a dispensing probe is cleaned by repeating an inner surface liquid-feeding period in which a cleaning liquid is fed to an inside of the dispensing probe and an inner surface stop period in which the cleaning liquid is not fed.

First claim

1 - 4 . (canceled)

5 . A method for cleaning a dispensing probe included in an automatic analysis device configured to dispense a liquid, the method comprising:
cleaning an inner surface of the dispensing probe, wherein the cleaning the inner surface includes performing an inner surface liquid-feeding period in which a cleaning liquid is fed to an inside of the dispensing probe and an inner surface stop period in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, and performing the inner surface liquid-feeding period again after the inner surface stop period, and the inner surface stop period is configured to be a maximum value under a condition that a sum of the inner surface liquid-feeding periods, the number of the inner surface liquid-feeding periods, and a sum of the inner surface liquid feeding periods and the inner surface stop periods are certain defined values, respectively.

6 . A method for cleaning a dispensing probe included in an automatic analysis device configured to dispense a liquid, the method comprising:
cleaning an inner surface of the dispensing probe, wherein the cleaning the inner surface includes cleaning the inner surface by repeating an inner surface liquid-feeding period in which a cleaning liquid is fed to an inside of the dispensing probe and an inner surface stop period in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, the cleaning the inner surface includes performing the inner surface liquid-feeding period twice or more, wherein lengths of at least two of the inner surface liquid-feeding periods are different from each other, and each of the inner surface stop periods is 25% or more of a sum of the inner surface liquid-feeding periods and the inner surface stop periods.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein
in the cleaning the inner surface, a time length of each of the inner surface liquid-feeding periods is 20% or more of a sum of time lengths of all the inner surface liquid-feeding periods.

9 . The method according to claim 8 further comprising:
cleaning an outer surface of the dispensing probe, wherein
the cleaning the inner surface includes performing the inner surface liquid-feeding period three times or more, and the first surface liquid-feeding period is longest.

10 . A method for cleaning a dispensing probe included in an automatic analysis device configured to dispense a liquid, the method comprising:
cleaning an inner surface of the dispensing probe, wherein the cleaning the inner surface includes cleaning the inner surface by repeating an inner surface liquid-feeding period in which a cleaning liquid is fed to an inside of the dispensing probe and an inner surface stop period in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, the method further comprises cleaning an outer surface of the dispensing probe, the method initiates the cleaning the outer surface before initiating the cleaning the inner surface, the cleaning the outer surface includes one or more outer surface liquid-feeding periods in which a cleaning liquid is fed to the outer surface of the dispensing probe, and one or more outer surface stop periods in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, and the cleaning the outer surface includes, after a last one of the inner surface liquid-feeding period in the cleaning the inner surface is completed, starting a last one of the outer surface liquid-feeding period.

11 . A method for cleaning a dispensing probe included in an automatic analysis device configured to dispense a liquid, the method comprising cleaning an inner surface of the dispensing probe, wherein
the cleaning the inner surface includes cleaning the inner surface by repeating an inner surface liquid-feeding period in which a cleaning liquid is fed to an inside of the dispensing probe and an inner surface stop period in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, the method further comprises cleaning an outer surface of the dispensing probe, the method initiates the cleaning the outer surface before initiating the cleaning the inner surface, the cleaning the outer surface includes one or more outer surface liquid-feeding periods in which a cleaning liquid is fed to the outer surface of the dispensing probe, and one or more outer surface stop periods in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, the cleaning the outer surface includes, while the last inner surface liquid-feeding period in the cleaning the inner surface is performed, starting the last outer surface liquid-feeding period, and the cleaning the outer surface includes, after the last inner surface liquid-feeding period is completed, completing the last outer surface liquid-feeding period.

12 . A method for cleaning a dispensing probe included in an automatic analysis device configured to dispense a liquid, the method comprising cleaning an inner surface of the dispensing probe, wherein
the cleaning the inner surface includes cleaning the inner surface by repeating an inner surface liquid-feeding period in which a cleaning liquid is fed to an inside of the dispensing probe and an inner surface stop period in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, the method further comprises cleaning an outer surface of the dispensing probe, the method initiates the cleaning the outer surface before initiating the cleaning the inner surface, the cleaning the outer surface includes one or more outer surface liquid-feeding periods in which a cleaning liquid is fed to the outer surface of the dispensing probe, and one or more outer surface stop periods in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, the cleaning the outer surface includes, after a second-to-last one of the inner surface liquid-feeding period in the cleaning the inner surface is completed, and before a last one of the inner surface liquid-feeding period is started, starting a last one of the outer surface liquid-feeding period, and the cleaning the outer surface includes, after the last inner surface liquid-feeding period is completed, completing the last outer surface liquid-feeding period.

13 . A method for cleaning a dispensing probe included in an automatic analysis device configured to dispense a liquid, the method comprising cleaning an inner surface of the dispensing probe, wherein
the cleaning the inner surface includes cleaning the inner surface by repeating an inner surface liquid-feeding period in which a cleaning liquid is fed to an inside of the dispensing probe and an inner surface stop period in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, the cleaning the inner surface includes feeding the cleaning liquid at a first flow rate from a first one of the inner surface liquid-feeding period to a second-to-last one of the inner surface liquid-feeding period, and the cleaning the inner surface includes feeding the cleaning liquid at a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate in the last inner surface liquid-feeding period.

14 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . An automatic analysis device configured to dispense a sample of a liquid, the automatic analysis device comprising:
a dispensing probe configured to dispense the liquid; and a cleaning mechanism configured to clean an inner surface of the dispensing probe, wherein the cleaning mechanism performs an inner surface liquid-feeding period in which a cleaning liquid is fed to an inside of the dispensing probe and an inner surface stop period in which the cleaning liquid is not fed, and performs the inner surface liquid-feeding period again after the inner surface stop period, and the inner surface stop period is configured to be a maximum value under a condition that a sum of the inner surface liquid-feeding periods, the number of the inner surface liquid-feeding periods, and a sum of the inner surfac

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Nojima Akihiro
• Horie Yosuke
• Hirano Masaaki
• Takada Eiichiro
• Miyake Yuka
• Mori Takamichi

Classifications

• G01N35/1067

  for transfer to or from containers having different spacing · CPC title

• G01N35/025

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

• G01N35/1004 Primary

  Cleaning sample transfer devices · CPC title