Automatic analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778274-B2
Application number	US-201314438250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2013
Priority date	Nov 14, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An automatic analyzer having no limitation on a range of a placeable position on a sample placement disk for patient specimens, emergency specimens, quality control samples, and calibration samples, and being capable of performing analysis while changing the number of simultaneously-measurable samples for each type of each specimen is provided. In the automatic analyzer, either a calibration sample dedicated disk or a patient specimen dedicated disk is placed in an analyzing unit 8 as a sample placement disk 19 , and the analyzing unit 8 has a disk identifying unit 24 which identifies a type of the sample placement disk 19 , and a computer 22 identifies the type of the sample placement disk 19 based on an identification result of the disk identifying unit 24 , and performs analysis on a liquid sample based on the identified type of the sample placement disk 19.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic analyzer system comprising:
a plurality of sample placement disks each include a plurality of positions each configured to hold a sample container that holds types of liquid sample and identifying information that identifies the type of sample placement disk, wherein the types of liquid sample include calibration sample, patient specimen sample, a quality control sample, and an emergency patient specimen, and the types of sample placement disks include:
a calibration sample dedicated disk that is configured to contain only a calibration sample as the type of the liquid sample in the plurality of sample containers;
a patient specimen dedicated disk sample container that is configured to contain only a patient specimen as the type of the liquid sample;
a position-free dedicated disk configured to hold a sample container and at least two sample containers on the position-free disk contain different types of liquid samples;
an analyzing unit comprising;
a reaction disk disposed having a plurality of reaction vessels;
a sample dispensing probe;
a photometer configured to measure an absorbance of light, from a light source, of a liquid sample contained in a reaction vessel on the reaction disk during analysis that was transferred by the sample dispensing probe from the sample placement disk;
a control unit, having a memory and a processor; and
a disk identifying unit, coupled to the control unit, configured to read the identifying information on the sample placement disk and send the data identifying the type of the sample placement disk,

a computer coupled with the control unit and a display, that is configured to display information of the analysis and an analytic result of the analysis, and coupled with an input device configured to input information;
wherein the memory of the control unit stores information of a predetermined start screen for each of the calibration sample dedicated disk, patient specimen dedicated disk, and the position-free disk and stores instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
identify the type of the sample placement disk based on the data of the disk identifying unit, when the sample placement disk is disposed in the analyzing unit,
instruct the computer to display, on the display, one of the predetermined start screens based on the type of the sample placement disk identified by the disk identifying unit,
if the identified type of the sample placement disk is the position-free disk:
instruct the computer to display as the start screen, on the display, a sample placement condition setting screen for setting position information indicating a position of each type of liquid sample placed on the position-free disk,
store the position information of the position of each type of the liquid sample placed on the position-free disk based on the position information input via the sample placement condition setting screen from the computer and the input device,
instruct the analysis unit to perform different analyses on the liquid samples using at least the photometer and the computer on the position-free disk based on the type of liquid sample at each position on the position-free disk indicated by the position information,

if the identified type of the sample placement disk is the calibration sample dedicated disk:
instruct the computer to display as the start screen, on the display, a sample placement condition setting screen indicating patient specimens, emergency patient specimens and quality control samples are unplaceable on any of the positions of the calibration sample dedicated disk; and
instruct the analysis unit to perform the analysis using at least the photometer and the computer on each liquid sample placed on the calibration sample dedicated disk,

if the identified type of the sample placement disk is the patient specimen dedicated disk:
instruct the computer to display as the start screen, on the display, a sample placement condition setting screen indicating emergency patient specimens, quality control samples and calibration samples are unplaceable on any of the positions of the calibration sample dedicated disk; and
instruct the analysis unit to perform the analysis using at least the photometer and the computer on each liquid sample placed on the patient specimen dedicated disk,

wherein performing the analysis includes instructing the sample dispensing probe to transfer liquid samples from the sample placement disk to reaction containers on the reaction disk.

2. The automatic analyzer system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the memory of the control unit further stores instructions that if the identified type of the sample placement disk is the position-free disk that causes the processor to:
instruct the computer to display on the sample placement condition setting screen an input item for setting a range of the positions of the position-free disk for each of the patient specimen, the emergency specimen, the quality control sample, and the calibration sample.

3. The automatic analyzer system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit stores, in the memory, a plurality of analysis modes of the position-free disk, which each designate a range of one or more positions for each type of the liquid sample, and
wherein the memory of the control unit further stores instructions that execute if the identified type of the sample placement disk is the position-free disk that causes the processor to instruct the computer to display an input item for adjusting the range of the one or more positions for each type of the liquid sample of the position-free disk on the sample placement condition setting screen for each of the analysis modes.

4. The automatic analyzer system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the memory of the control unit further stores instructions that execute if the identified type of the sample placement disk is the position-free disk that causes the processor to instruct the computer to display an analysis start screen before a start of the analysis of a liquid sample, and display information on the range for each of the patient specimen, the emergency specimen, the quality control sample, and the calibration sample on the sample placement disk based on the type of the sample placement disk.

5. The automatic analyzer system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the memory of the control unit further stores instructions that execute if the identified type of the sample placement disk is the position-free disk to instruct the computer to display an area for selecting any of the plurality of analysis modes on the analysis start screen, and
display information on the range of the positions for the patient specimen, the emergency specimen, the quality control sample, and the calibration sample on the sample placement disk based on the selected analysis mode.

6. A method of an automatic analyzer system, that includes the automatic analyzer system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
identifying the type of the sample placement disk based on the data of the disk identifying unit,
instruct the computer to display, on the display, one of the predetermined start screens based on the type of the sample placement disk identified by the disk identifying unit,
if the identified type of the sample placement disk is the position-free disk:
instructing the computer to display as the start screen, on the display, a sample placement condition setting screen for setting position information indicating a position of each type of liquid sample placed on the position-free disk,
storing the position information of the position of each type of the liquid sample placed on the position-free disk based on the position information input via the sample placement condition settin

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Shiba Takao
• Tanaka Yoshiyuki
• Matsubara Eiichi

Classifications

• G01N2035/00801

  Holders for sample carriers, e.g. trays, caroussel, racks · CPC title

• G01N2035/0091

  GUI [graphical user interfaces] · CPC title

• G01N35/0095

  introducing urgent samples with priority, e.g. Short Turn Around Time Samples [STATS] · CPC title

• G01N35/00732 Primary

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

• G01N2035/00851

  process control parameters · CPC title