Automatic analysis device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9575085-B2
Application number	US-201414760806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2014
Priority date	Feb 1, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

In an automatic analysis device, when an external force acts on a probe guard 26 in a horizontal direction, the probe guard 26 moves in a direction escaping from the external force around a center portion 47 of a test body container installing mechanism 1 , and the probe guard 26 is separated from a fixed position. An outer circumferential wall 29 of the probe guard 26 invades a test body sampling mechanism track 28 , and thus a risk that a sampling nozzle 23 of a test body sampling mechanism 5 invades the test body container installing mechanism 1 is avoided by the outer circumferential wall 29 . When the probe guard 26 is separated from the fixed position, this is detected, and thus the operation of the test body sampling mechanism 5 and the test body container installing mechanism 1 is stopped.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic analysis device, comprising:
a test body container arranging mechanism in which a test body container is arranged and the arranged test body container is moved;
a test reagent container arranging mechanism in which a test reagent container is arranged;
a reaction container arranging mechanism in which a reaction container for reacting a test body with a test reagent is arranged;
a test body sampling mechanism which suctions the test body from the test body container arranged in the test body container arranging mechanism, and discharges the test body to the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arranging mechanism;
a test reagent sampling mechanism which suctions the test reagent from the test reagent container arranged in the test reagent container arranging mechanism, and discharges the test reagent to the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arranging mechanism;
an optical analyzer which analyzes the test body in the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arranging mechanism;
a control unit which controls operations of the test body container arranging mechanism, the test reagent container arranging mechanism, the reaction container arranging mechanism, the test body sampling mechanism, and the test reagent sampling mechanism; and
a probe guard which is supported by a center portion and an outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism and is disposed at a specific position on the test body container arranging mechanism, and the probe guard includes a guard wall that surrounds the test body sampling mechanism when the test body sampling mechanism is positioned over the test body container arranging mechanism, and a retaining unit integrated with the guard wall and which retains the probe guard on the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism to be movable along the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism from the specific position,
wherein the test body container arranging mechanism includes a probe guard existence detecting sensor that detects a movement of the probe guard from the specific position, and
wherein the control unit stops a test body movement operation of the test body container arranging mechanism and a test body suction operation from the test body container of the test body sampling mechanism when the probe guard existence detecting sensor detects that the probe guard is moved along the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism from the specific position.

2. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the guard wall of the probe guard extends in a vertical direction to surround a movement track of the test body sampling mechanism over test body container arranging mechanism, and the guard wall further surrounds a dispensing port through which the test body sampling mechanism suctions the test body from the test body container.

3. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the probe guard is movable around the center portion of the test body container arranging mechanism from the specific position.

4. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first protrusion is formed in the retaining unit of the probe guard, and a positioning groove to which the first protrusion is inserted is formed in the test body container arranging mechanism to position the probe guard at the specific position.

5. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a pair of stoppers disposed on the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism limit a movement range of the probe guard along the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism.

6. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the probe guard is attachable to and detachable from the test body container arranging mechanism.

7. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display unit,
wherein the control unit displays an alarm on the display unit when the probe guard existence detecting sensor detects that the probe guard is moved along the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism from the predetermined position.

8. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the probe guard includes a second protrusion that extends from below the probe guard into a window of the test body container arranging mechanism when the probe guard is disposed at the specific position, and
wherein the probe guard existence detecting sensor detects that the probe guard is moved along the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism from the specific position when the second protrusion is removed from the window.

9. An automatic analysis device, comprising:
a test body container arranging mechanism in which a test body container is arranged and the arranged test body container is moved;
a test reagent container arranging mechanism in which a test reagent container is arranged;
a reaction container arranging mechanism in which a reaction container for reacting a test body with a test reagent is arranged;
a test body sampling mechanism which suctions the test body from the test body container arranged in the test body container arranging mechanism, and discharges the test body to the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arranging mechanism;
a test reagent sampling mechanism which suctions the test reagent from the test reagent container arranged in the test reagent container arranging mechanism, and discharges the test reagent to the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arranging mechanism;
an optical analyzer which analyzes the test body in the reaction container arranged in the reaction container arranging mechanism;
a control unit which controls operations of the test body container arranging mechanism, the test reagent container arranging mechanism, the reaction container arranging mechanism, the test body sampling mechanism, and the test reagent sampling mechanism; and
a probe guard which is supported by a center portion and an outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism and is disposed at a specific position on the test body container arranging mechanism, and the probe guard includes a guard wall that surrounds the test body sampling mechanism when the test body sampling mechanism is positioned over the test body container arranging mechanism, and a retaining unit integrated with the guard wall and which retains the probe guard on the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism to be movable along the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanism from the specific position,
wherein the test body container arranging mechanism includes a probe guard existence detecting sensor that detects a movement of the probe guard from the specific position,
wherein a first protrusion is formed on the retaining unit of the probe guard, and a positioning groove to which the first protrusion is inserted is formed in the test body container arranging mechanism to position the probe guard at the specific position, and
wherein the control unit stops a test body movement operation of the test body container arranging mechanism and a test body suction operation from the test body container of the test body sampling mechanism when the probe guard existence detecting sensor detects that the probe guard is moved along the outer circumferential portion of the test body container arranging mechanis

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Setomaru Takeshi
• Ishizawa Masato
• Chiba Hideyasu

Classifications

• G01N35/00584

  Control arrangements for automatic analysers · CPC title

• G01N2035/00316

  Detecting door closure · CPC title

• G01N35/025 Primary

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

• G01N35/02 Primary

  using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations {(G01N35/0098 and G01N35/0099 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N21/11

  Filling or emptying of cuvettes · CPC title