SAMPLE ANALYZER AND REAGENT INFORMATION OBTAINING METHOD

• US 20110232372A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: TOKUNAGA, Kazutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,062,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/61.49
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00673 of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00821 nature of coded information
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0443 for reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment

Abstract

A sample analyzer and a method for obtaining reagent information are disclosed, wherein the sample analyzer analyzes a sample by using a reagent contained in a reagent container, comprising a first reagent container holder configured to hold a first reagent container containing a first reagent, a first electronic tag, on which a reagent information regarding the first reagent is recorded, attached to the first reagent container; a second reagent container holder configured to hold a second reagent container containing a second reagent, a second electronic tag, on which a reagent information regarding the second reagent is recorded, attached to the second reagent container; an antenna that is arranged between the first reagent container holder and the second reagent container holder, and is configured to receive a radio wave from each of the first and second electronic tags; and a reagent information obtainer unit configured to obtain the reagent information recorded on the first electronic tag based on a radio wave received from the first electronic tag, and to obtain the reagent information recorded on the second electronic tag based on a radio wave received from the second electronic tag.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer that analyzes a sample by using a reagent contained in a reagent container, comprising:

a first reagent container holder configured to hold a first reagent container containing a first reagent, wherein a first electronic tag, on which a reagent information regarding the first reagent is recorded, is attached to the first reagent container;

a second reagent container holder configured to hold a second reagent container containing a second reagent, wherein a second electronic tag, on which a reagent information regarding the second reagent is recorded, is attached to the second reagent container;

an antenna that is arranged between the first reagent container holder and the second reagent container holder, and is configured to receive a radio wave from each of the first and second electronic tags; and

a reagent information obtainer unit configured to obtain the reagent information recorded on the first electronic tag based on a radio wave received from the first electronic tag, and to obtain the reagent information recorded on the second electronic tag based on a radio wave received from the second electronic tag.

2. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein

the first electronic tag is attached to a side surface of the first reagent container facing the antenna;

and

the second electronic tag is attached to a side surface of the second reagent container facing the antenna.

3. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to determine whether the antenna has received the radio wave from an electronic tag which is a target of reading a reagent information.

4. The sample analyzer according to claim 3, wherein

the first reagent information recorded on the first electronic tag contains a type specifying information for specifying a type of the first reagent, and the second reagent information recorded on the second electronic tag contains a type specifying information for specifying a type of the second reagent;

and

the controller determines whether the antenna has received the radio wave from the electronic tag which is the target of reading the reagent information, based on a type specifying information contained in the reagent information obtained by the reagent information obtainer unit.

5. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein

the antenna is configured to write a reagent information to each of the first and second electronic tags by emitting a write radio wave to each of the first and second electronic tags;

and

the sample analyzer further comprises a controller configured to determine whether the antenna and an electronic tag which is a target of writing a reagent information are communicable before the antenna emits the write radio wave to the electronic tag which is the target of writing the reagent information.

6. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein

the antenna comprises an antenna substrate having a flat plate shape, with a first surface and a second surface of the antenna substrate are positioned on the first reagent container side and the second reagent container side, respectively;

and

the sample analyzer further comprises;

a drive unit configured to move at least one of the reagent container holders and the antenna; and

a controller configured to control the drive unit to position the first electronic tag at a position facing the first surface of the antenna substrate when the first electronic tag is a target of reading a reagent information, and control the drive unit to position the second electronic tag at a position facing the second surface of the antenna substrate when the second electronic tag is a target of reading a reagent information.

7. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein

the first reagent container holder holds a plurality of first reagent containers, and is formed to a substantially circular shape in plan view;

the second reagent container holder holds a plurality of second reagent containers, and is formed to a substantially circular shape on an inner peripheral side of the first reagent container holder in plan view; and

a readable range by the antenna when reading the second electronic tag is smaller than a readable range by the antenna when reading the first electronic tag.

8. The sample analyzer according to claim 7, further comprising a read limiting member, arranged between the second electronic tag and the antenna, for limiting the readable range by the antenna.

9. The sample analyzer according to claim 8, wherein

the read limiting member includes a metal member with a gap for passing the radio wave from each of the first and second electronic tags.

10. The sample analyzer according to claim 8, wherein a read limiting member for limiting a readable range by the antenna is not arranged between the first electronic tag and the antenna.

11. The sample analyzer according to claim 7, wherein

the antenna is configured to emit a radio wave to each of the first and second electronic tags, and to receive a radio wave emitted from each of the first and second electronic tags in response to the radio wave;

and

the sample analyzer further comprises a controller configured to control the antenna to emit a radio wave of a first reaching range to the first electronic tag when reading the reagent information from the first electronic tag, and emit a radio wave of a second reaching range smaller than the first reaching range when reaching the reagent information from the second electronic tag.

12. The sample analyzer according to claim 7, wherein

the first reagent container holder is configured to hold a predetermined number of first reagent containers at equal intervals;

and

the second reagent container holder is configured to hold a predetermined number of second reagent containers at equal intervals.

13. The sample analyzer according to claim 7, wherein

the antenna is fixed at a predetermined position between the first reagent container holder and the second reagent container holder;

and

the sample analyzer further comprises;

a drive unit configured to rotationally drive the first and second reagent container holders in a peripheral direction; and

a controller configured to control the drive unit to move a first electronic tag to a position facing the antenna when the first electronic tag is a target of reading a reagent information, and to move a second electronic tag to a position facing the antenna when the second electronic tag is a target of reading a reagent information.

14. A method for obtaining reagent information of a reagent in a reagent container, comprising:

arranging an antenna between a first reagent container holder configured to hold a first reagent container and a second reagent container holder configured to hold a second reagent container, wherein a first electronic tag on which a reagent information is recorded is attached to the first reagent container and a second electronic tag on which a reagent information is recorded is attached to the second reagent container;

moving the first reagent container holder so that the first electronic tag faces the antenna when the first electronic tag is a target of reading a reagent information;

moving the second reagent container holder so that the second electronic tag faces the antenna when the second electronic tag is a target of reading a reagent information;

receiving a radio wave, by the antenna, from an electronic tag facing the antenna; and

obtaining a reagent information based on the radio wave received by the antenna.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising

determining whether the antenna has received the radio wave from the electronic tag which is the target of reading the reagent information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein

the reagent information recorded on the first electronic tag contains a type specifying information for specifying a type of the reagent contained in the first reagent container, and the reagent information recorded on the second electronic tag contains a type specifying information for specifying a type of the reagent contained in the second reagent container;

and

the step of determining comprises a step of determining whether the antenna has received the radio wave from the electronic tag which is the target of reading the reagent information, based on the type specifying information contained in the obtained reagent information.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the antenna and an electronic tag which is a target of writing a reagent information are communicable; and

emitting a write radio wave to the electronic tag which is the target of writing the reagent information to write the reagent information when the electronic tag and the antenna are communicable.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein

the first reagent container holder holds a plurality of first reagent containers, and is formed to a substantially circular shape in plan view;

and

the second reagent container holder holds a plurality of second reagent containers, and is formed to a substantially circular shape on an inner peripheral side of the first reagent container holder in plan view.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising

arranging a read limiting member between the second electronic tag and the antenna to limit a readable range by the antenna.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein receiving the radio wave comprises:

emitting a radio wave of a first reaching range to the first electronic tag from the antenna when the first electronic tag is a target of reading the reagent information;

emitting a radio wave of a second reaching range smaller than the first reaching range to the second electronic tag from the antenna when the second electronic tag is a target of reading the reagent information; and

receiving, by the antenna, a radio wave emitted from an electronic tag in response to the radio wave of the first reaching range or the radio wave of the second reaching range.