Sample Analyzer

• US 20080240991A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Takehara, Hisato, Okuzaki, Tomohiro, Wakamiya, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00673 of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00811 consumable or exchangeable components other than sample carriers, e.g. detectors, flow cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00851 process control parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00663 of consumables
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 Reagent dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/119163 with aspirator of claimed structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A sample analyzer is disclosed that comprising: a first reagent container to hold a first reagent container with a first record section which contains a first reagent management information; a second reagent container holder to hold a second reagent container with a second record section which contains a second reagent management information; a first information reader; a second information reader; a registration section for registering the combination of the first reagent and the second reagent based on the first reagent management information; a measurement section for conducting a measurement of a predetermined analysis item by using the first reagent and the second reagent corresponding to the combination registered by the registration section; and a processing section for processing a measurement result obtained by the measurement section, and for obtaining an analysis result of the sample.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer for analyzing a sample by using a first reagent and a second reagent comprising:

a first reagent container holder capable of holding a first reagent container, wherein the first reagent container accommodates the first reagent, and comprises a first record section which contains a first reagent management information;

a second reagent container holder capable of holding a second reagent container, wherein the second reagent container accommodates the second reagent, and comprises a second record section which contains a second reagent management information;

a first information reader for reading the first reagent management information from the first record section;

a second information reader for reading the second reagent management information from the second record section;

a registration section for registering the combination of the first reagent and the second reagent based on the first reagent management information read by the first information reader and the second reagent management information read by the second information reader;

a measurement section for conducting a measurement of a predetermined analysis item by using the first reagent and the second reagent corresponding to the combination registered by the registration section; and

a processing section for processing a measurement result obtained by the measurement section, and for obtaining an analysis result of the sample.

2. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising a determining section for determining whether or not the first reagent management information and the second reagent management information correspond.

3. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, wherein

the first reagent management information comprises first analysis item information;

the second reagent management information comprises second analysis item information; and

the determining section determines whether or not the first analysis item information and the second analysis item information correspond.

4. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, wherein

the first reagent management information comprises first lot number information;

the second reagent management information contains second lot number information; and

the determining section determines whether or not the first lot number information and the second lot number information correspond.

5. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, wherein

the first reagent management information comprises first analysis item information and first lot number information;

the second reagent management information comprises second analysis item information and second lot number information;

the determining section determines whether or not the first analysis item information and the second analysis item information correspond, and whether or not the first lot number information and the second lot number information correspond; and

the registration section registers the combination of the first reagent and the second reagent when the determining section determines that the first analysis item information and the first lot number information correspond to the second analysis item information and the second lot number information.

6. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, wherein the registration section prohibits registration of the combination of the first reagent and the second reagent when the determining section determines that the first reagent management information and the second reagent management information do not correspond.

7. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein

the first reagent management information comprises first serial number information of the first reagent container;

the second reagent management information comprises second serial number of the second reagent container; and

the registration section registers information regarding correspondence relation of the first serial number information and the second serial number information when registering a combination of the first reagent and the second reagent.

8. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising:

an order accepting section for accepting an order for measurement;

a reagent combination presence or absence determining section for determining presence or absence of a combination of the first reagent and the second reagent for performing the measurement corresponding to the order accepted by the order accepting section; and

a measurement prohibiting section for prohibiting measurement based on the order when the reagent combination presence or absence determining section determines absence of the reagent combination for performing the measurement corresponding to the order accepted by the order accepting section.

9. The sample analyzer according to claim 8, further comprising a warning section for warning a user that measurement based on the order is prohibited when the reagent combination presence or absence determining section determines absence of the reagent combination for performing the measurement corresponding to the order accepted by the order accepting section.

10. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising:

an accepting section for accepting specification of the reagent combination to be replaced or retrieved from a user;

wherein

the first reagent container holder is configured to movably hold the first reagent container;

the second reagent container holder is configured to movably hold the second reagent container;

when the reagent combination to be replaced or retrieved is specified by the accepting section, the first reagent container holder moves the first reagent container corresponding to the first reagent forming the reagent combination to a first retrieving position where the first reagent container held by the first reagent container holder is retrieved, and the second reagent container holder moves the second reagent container corresponding to the second reagent forming the reagent combination to a second retrieving position where the second reagent container held by the second reagent container holder is retrieved.

11. The sample analyzer according to claim 10, further comprising:

a first conveyance section for conveying the first reagent container from the first retrieving position outside of the first reagent container holder; and

a second conveyance section for conveying the second reagent container from the second retrieving position to the outside of the second reagent container holder;

wherein

when the reagent combination to be replaced or retrieved is specified by the accepting section, the first conveyance section conveys the first reagent container corresponding to the first reagent forming the reagent combination from the first retrieving position to the outside of the first reagent container holder, and the second conveyance section conveys the second reagent container corresponding to the second reagent forming the reagent combination from the second retrieving position to the outside of the second reagent container holder.

12. The sample analyzer according to claim 11, wherein

when the reagent combination to be replaced is specified by the accepting section,

the first conveyance section conveys the first reagent container arranged at a first set position on the outside of the first reagent container from the first set position to the first retrieving position,

the first reagent container holder moves the first reagent container corresponding to the first reagent forming the reagent combination to be replaced to the first retrieving position;

the first conveyance section conveys the first reagent container corresponding to the first reagent forming the reagent combination to be replaced from the first retrieving position to the outside of the first reagent container holder;

the second conveyance section conveys the second reagent container arranged at a second set position on the outside of the second reagent container from the second set position to the second retrieving position,

the second reagent container holder moves the second reagent container corresponding to the second reagent forming the reagent combination to be replaced to the second retrieving position;

the second conveyance section conveys the second reagent container corresponding to the second reagent forming the reagent combination to be replaced from the second retrieving position to the outside of the second reagent container holder.

13. The sample analyzer according to claim 10, wherein

the first reagent container holder rotatably holds the first reagent container;

the second reagent container holder rotatably holds the second reagent container;

the first retrieving position is positioned on a rotation movement path of the first reagent container; and

the second retrieving position is positioned on a rotation movement path of the second reagent container.

14. The sample analyzer according to claim 10, further comprising a notifying section for notifying the termination of replacement or retrieval of the first reagent container corresponding to the first reagent forming the reagent combination to be replaced or retrieved, and the second reagent container corresponding to the second reagent forming the reagent combination to be replaced or retrieved.

15. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit; and

a display control unit for controlling the display unit to display an arrangement state of the first reagent container and the second reagent container respectively held in the first reagent container holder and the second reagent container holder.

16. The sample analyzer according to claim 15, wherein when the reagent combination is not formed from the first reagent and the second reagent, the display control unit controls the display unit to display the arrangement state of the first reagent and the second reagent not forming the reagent combination distinguishable from that of a first reagent and a second reagent forming the reagent combination.

17. The sample analyzer according to claim 16, further comprising a selecting section for selecting a reagent container on the display unit displaying the arrangement of the first reagent container and the second reagent container;

wherein

the display control unit controls the display unit so that a display showing reasons the reagent containers do not form the reagent set is made when the first reagent or the second reagent not forming the reagent combination is selected by the selecting section.

21. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein

the sample analyzer is an immunological analyzer;

and

the first reagent and the second reagent are respectively reagents selected from a group consisting of capture antibody or capture antigen for bonding and capturing an antigen or an antibody which is a measurement object, magnetic particles, labeled antibody or labeled antigen, dispersion liquid, and light emitting substrate.

22. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein

the sample analyzer is a hematology analyzer;

and

the first reagent and the second reagent are respectively reagents selected from a group consisting of diluent, hemolyzing agent, staining fluid, and sheath fluid.

18. A sample analyzer for analyzing a sample by using a first reagent and a second reagent comprising:

a first reagent container holder capable of holding a first reagent container, wherein the first reagent container accommodates the first reagent, and comprises a first record section recorded with first reagent management information used in managing the first reagent;

a second reagent container holder capable of holding a second reagent container, wherein the second reagent container accommodates the second reagent, and comprises a second record section recorded with second reagent management information used in managing the second reagent;

a first information reader for reading the first reagent management information from the first record section of the first reagent container;

a second information reader for reading the second reagent management information from the second record section of the second reagent container;

a determining section for determining whether or not the first reagent management information read by the first information reader and the second reagent management information read by the second information reader correspond;

a measurement section for conducting a measurement of a predetermined analysis item by using the first reagent and the second reagent when determined that the first reagent management information and the second reagent management information correspond by the determining section;

a processing section for processing a measurement result obtained by the measurement section, and for obtaining an analysis result of the sample; and

a measurement prohibiting section for prohibiting measurement of the predetermined analysis item by the measurement section by using the first reagent and the second reagent when determined that the first reagent management information and the second reagent information do not correspond by the determining section.

19. The sample analyzer according to claim 18, wherein

the first reagent management information comprises first lot number information;

the second reagent management information comprises second lot number information; and

the determining section determines whether or not the first lot number information and the second lot number information correspond.

20. The sample analyzer according to claim 19, further comprising a warning section for warning a user that measurement by the measurement section is prohibited when determined that the first lot number information and the second lot number information do not correspond by the determining section.