Conveyor Device for Analyzer, Analyzer, Analyzing System, and Connector for Conveyor Device

• US 20110000763A1
• Filed: 02/28/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Okuda, Kazuhiko, Kimura, Masahiro, Kubo, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,534,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/340
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00306 Housings, cabinets, control panels (details)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0415 moving in two dimensions in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0465 Loading or unloading the conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

A conveyor device 2 for analyzer includes: a conveyance tracks 20A and 20B capable of conveying a specimen rack 3 along a fixed path; and a frame 21 positioned around the conveyance tracks 20A and 20B, the frame 21 being provided with separable and removable portions 24A and 24B which are separable and removable from the frame 21 and which are capable of providing the frame 21 with cutouts in open condition when separated and removed from the frame 21. When the frame 21 is provided with the cutouts in open condition, the cutouts allows the specimen rack 3 to be introduced onto and discharged from the conveyance tracks 20A and 20B from outer lateral sides of the frame 21 through the cutouts.

Claims

1. A conveyor device for analyzer comprising:

a conveyance track capable of conveying a specimen rack along a fixed path; and

a frame positioned around the conveyance track,

the frame being provided with a separable and removable portion which is separable and removable from the frame and which is capable of providing the frame with a cutout in open condition when separated and removed from the frame, wherein

when the frame is provided with the cutout in open condition, the cutout allows at least one of an operation to advance the specimen rack onto the conveyance track from an outer lateral side of the frame through the cutout and an operation to discharge the specimen rack from the conveyance track to outside of the frame through the cutout.

2. The conveyor device for analyzer according to claim 1, wherein:

the frame is provided with a pair of vertically extending slits which are horizontally spaced apart from each other to provide a brittle portion of the frame therebetween; and

the brittle portion forms the separable and removable portion.

3. The conveyor device for analyzer according to claim 1, wherein:

the frame is fitted with a separate and removable closing member in such a manner as to close a cutout previously formed in the frame; and

the closing member forms the separable and removable portion.

4. The conveyor device for analyzer according to claim 1, wherein:

the conveyance track has a starting area located close to a first widthwise end of the frame and an ending area located close to an opposite second widthwise end of the frame;

the separable and removable portion is provided at each of the first and second widthwise ends of the frame to enable a first cutout to be formed at the first widthwise end of the frame for allowing the specimen rack to advance therethrough into the starting area from a first outer lateral side of the frame and enable a second cutout to be formed at the second widthwise end of the frame for allowing the specimen rack to be discharged therethrough from the ending area to a second outer lateral side of the frame.

5. The conveyor device for analyzer according to claim 4, further comprising a connector which is capable of connecting the frame to another conveyor device for analyzer and which has an upwardly oriented guide surface capable of guiding the specimen rack being conveyed through the first cutout or the second cutout when the connector is in a connecting state.

6. The conveyor device for analyzer according to claim 5, further comprising a movable member which is reciprocable widthwise of the frame at a location adjacent the ending area,

the movable member being capable of moving the specimen rack having been conveyed into the ending area toward the second cutout.

7. The conveyor device for analyzer according to claim 6, wherein the movable member is capable of advancing onto the guide surface from the ending area side when the connector is connected to the frame to guide the specimen rack passing through the second cutout.

8. The conveyor device for analyzer according to claim 1, wherein:

the separable and removable portion is fitted with a sensor for detecting whether or not the specimen rack is present at a predetermined point; and

when the separable and removable member is separated and removed from the frame, the sensor is allowed to be removed from the separable and removable member and then placed adjacent the predetermined point for reuse in determination as to whether or not the specimen rack is present at the predetermined point.

9. An analyzer comprising a conveyor device,

the conveyor device comprising:

a conveyance track capable of conveying a specimen rack along a fixed path; and

a frame positioned around the conveyance track,

the frame being provided with a separable and removable portion which is separable and removable from the frame and which is capable of providing the frame with a cutout in open condition when separated and removed from the frame, wherein

when the frame is provided with the cutout in open condition, the cutout allows at least one of an operation to advance the specimen rack onto the conveyance track from an outer lateral side of the frame through the cutout and an operation to discharge the specimen rack from the conveyance track to outside of the frame through the cutout.

10. The analyzer according to claim 9, which includes:

an analyzer body capable of analyzing a specimen;

a conveyor device capable of conveying the specimen rack having been fed into a predetermined starting area toward the analyzer body or a location adjacent thereto and then conveying the specimen rack to a predetermined ending area; and

control means having a signal input/output section capable of data communication with another analyzer,

the control means being configured to carry out a process including;

outputting a predetermined first signal from the signal output/input section to outside in response to arrival of a specimen rack at the ending area;

instructing the conveyor device to perform an operation to discharge the specimen rack from the ending area to outside of the conveyor device in response to receipt of a predetermined second signal by the signal input/output section from outside after the outputting of the first signal;

determining whether or not a predetermined condition for receiving a specimen rack into the starting area is satisfied in response to receipt of the first signal by the signal input/output section from outside; and

outputting the second signal from the signal input/output section in response to a determination that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

11. The analyzer according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition in which any specimen rack is not present in the starting area of the conveyor device while the starting area is in a stationary condition incapable of conveying a specimen rack.

12. An analyzing system comprising:

a plurality of analyzers each provided with a conveyor device; and

connector means designed to connect the plurality of analyzers to each other for allowing a specimen rack to be passed between the plurality of analyzers,

the conveyor device comprising;

a conveyance track capable of conveying the specimen rack along a fixed path; and

a frame positioned around the conveyance track,

the frame being provided with a separable and removable portion which is separable and removable from the frame and which is capable of providing the frame with a cutout in open condition when separated and removed from the frame, wherein

when the frame is provided with the cutout in open condition, the cutout allows at least one of an operation to advance the specimen rack onto the conveyance track from an outer lateral side of the frame through the cutout and an operation to discharge the specimen rack from the conveyance track to outside of the frame through the cutout,

the analyzers each comprising;

an analyzer body capable of analyzing a specimen;

a conveyor device capable of conveying the specimen rack having been fed into a predetermined starting area toward the analyzer body or a location adjacent thereto and then conveying the specimen rack to a predetermined ending area; and

control means having a signal input/output section capable of data communication with another analyzer,

the control means being configured to carry out a process including;

outputting a predetermined first signal from the signal output/input section to outside in response to arrival of a specimen rack at the ending area;

instructing the conveyor device to perform an operation to discharge the specimen rack from the ending area to outside of the conveyor device in response to receipt of a predetermined second signal by the signal input/output section from outside after the outputting of the first signal;

determining whether or not a predetermined condition for receiving a specimen rack into the starting area is satisfied in response to receipt of the first signal by the signal input/output section from outside; and

outputting the second signal from the signal input/output section in response to a determination that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

13. The analyzing system according to claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of analyzers include a first analyzer and a second analyzer designed to receive a plurality of specimen racks sequentially from the first analyzer and analyze specimens thereon;

when a predetermined number of specimen racks are stopped on the conveyor device of the first analyzer due to the second analyzer in a condition disabled to receive a specimen rack, the first analyzer switches to a standby mode in which a specimen analyzing operation is suspended temporarily; and

when the standby mode is established, a predetermined operation is performed for preventing a predetermined device or member utilized in the analyzing operation of the first analyzer from degrading in performance or quality during the standby mode.

14. The analyzing system according to claim 13, wherein:

the first analyzer has a dispenser designed to take a specimen out of a container supported on each of the specimen racks and dispense the specimen to a predetermined portion for analysis;

the dispenser has a nozzle cleaning function capable of supplying a cleaning liquid into a dispensing nozzle after the specimen has been sucked into and discharged from the nozzle by actuating a pump connected to the nozzle; and

when the first analyzer switches to the standby mode, an air purge operation for supplying the cleaning liquid into the nozzle is performed by actuating the pump by the time at which the standby mode is released thereafter to cause the dispenser to restart taking the specimen out of the container.

15. The analyzing system according to claim 14, wherein the air purge operation is performed only when the duration of the standby mode is longer than a predetermined time period.

16. The analyzing system according to claim 15, wherein the air purge operation starts at the time at which the duration of the standby mode reaches the predetermined time period.

17. The analyzing system according to claim 16, wherein the air purge operation is performed repeatedly at predetermined time intervals after the duration of the standby mode has exceeded the predetermined time period.

18. The analyzing system according to claim 14, wherein the operation to suck the specimen into the nozzle is performed after the pump has been actuated to suck a predetermined amount of air into the nozzle with a path from the pump to a nozzle opening of the nozzle being fully filled with the cleaning liquid as a result of the air purge operation, to form an air layer between the specimen and the cleaning liquid in the nozzle.

19. The analyzing system according to claim 14, wherein the first analyzer is provided with test piece feeding means configured to take a plurality of test pieces stored in a test piece storage unit out of the test piece storage unit one by one and then feed each of the test pieces to a position at which the test piece is spotted with the specimen by the dispenser,

the test piece feeding means being capable of preventing the test pieces stored in the test piece storage unit from being exposed to outside during the standby mode by failure to take an unused test piece not spotted with the specimen out of the test piece storage unit.

20. An analyzer comprising:

a conveyor device capable of conveying a plurality of specimen racks sequentially along a fixed path and feeding the plurality of specimen racks sequentially to a second analyzer in a state of being connected to a downstream side of the conveyor device;

a dispenser designed to take a specimen out of a container supported on each of the plurality of specimen racks and dispense the specimen to a predetermined portion for analysis; and

control means which is capable of data communication with the second analyzer and which establishes a standby mode in which a specimen analyzing operation is suspended temporarily when the second analyzer is determined as being disabled to receive a specimen rack from the conveyor device based on the data communication while a predetermined number of specimen racks are stopped on the conveyor device, wherein;

the dispenser has a nozzle cleaning function capable of supplying a cleaning liquid into a dispensing nozzle after the specimen has been sucked into and discharged from the nozzle by actuating a pump connected to the nozzle; and

when the standby mode is established, the dispenser performs an air purge operation for supplying the cleaning liquid into the nozzle by actuating the pump by the time at which the standby mode is released thereafter to cause the dispenser to restart taking the specimen out of the container.

21. A connector for use in connecting two conveyor devices for analyzer each having a conveyance track capable of conveying a specimen rack along a fixed path and a frame extending around the conveyance track, the connector comprising opposite end portions, and an upwardly oriented guide surface for slide guiding the specimen rack, wherein when the frames of the two conveyor devices are provided with respective cutouts, the opposite end portions are capable of securely fixed to the frames in such a manner that the upwardly oriented surface is positioned between the cutouts.

22. The connector according to claim 21, wherein when the opposite end portions are fixed to the frames of the two conveyor devices for analyzer, interference with a movable member designed to push the specimen rack from a first one of the two conveyor devices toward the other is avoided to allow the movable member to move from the first one to above the guide surface.

23. An analyzer comprising:

an analyzer body capable of analyzing a specimen;

a conveyor device capable of conveying a specimen rack having been fed into a predetermined starting area toward the analyzer body or a location adjacent thereto and then conveying the specimen rack to a predetermined ending area; and

control means having a signal input/output section capable of data communication with another analyzer,

the control means being configured to carry out a process including;

outputting a predetermined first signal from the signal output/input section to outside in response to arrival of a specimen rack at the ending area;

instructing the conveyor device to perform an operation to discharge the specimen rack from the ending area to outside of the conveyor device in response to receipt of a predetermined second signal by the signal input/output section from outside after the outputting of the first signal;

determining whether or not a predetermined condition for receiving a specimen rack into the starting area is satisfied in response to receipt of the first signal by the signal input/output section from outside; and

outputting the second signal from the signal input/output section in response to a determination that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

24. An analyzing system comprising:

a first analyzer designed to sequentially analyze specimens contained in a plurality of containers conveyed by a conveyor device; and

a second analyzer designed to receive the plurality of containers sequentially from the first analyzer and analyze the specimens therein, wherein;

when a predetermined number of containers are stopped on the conveyor device due to the second analyzer in a condition disabled to receive a container, the first analyzer switches to a standby mode in which a specimen analyzing operation is suspended temporarily; and

when the standby mode is established, a predetermined operation is performed for preventing a predetermined device or member utilized in the analyzing operation of the first analyzer from degrading in performance or quality during the standby mode.