Analyzer having sensor with memory device

• US 5,690,893 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yoshio, Murakami, Yoshiki, Nakai, Masaaki, Yamashita, Koutarou, Fujii, Toshiko, Kikuchi, Takafumi, Miyahara, Yuji, Ozawa, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long V.
• Application Number:
  US08/461,160
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 422/67, 422/82.01, 422/82.03, 422/105, 422/119, 422/62, 436/43, 436/50, 436/55, 380/25, 204/403, 204/406, 364/497
• US Class Current: 422/67
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00683 of detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00663 of consumables
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 Condition or time responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

An analyzer includes an exchangeable and consumable element such as a sensor, column or reagent the characteristic of which specifies an analyzing condition. The element is provided with a non-volatile semiconductor memory which holds an analyzing condition adapted for the element as data. When the element is mounted on an analyzer body, a controller of the analyzer reads the analyzing condition from the memory to update an analyzing condition inherently provided in the analyzer body. The result of analysis and/or operational history information of use of the element may be written into the memory with which the element is provided.

Claims

1. An analyzer comprising:

an analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for reading an analyzing condition from memory means, means for performing analysis of said sample on the basis of the read analyzing condition, and means for outputting a result of said analysis of said sample; and

an assembly detachably mounted on said analyzer body, said assembly including a passage through which said sample passes during said analysis of said sample, sensing means having a characteristic of inherently defining an analyzing condition of said sample, said sensing means being in contact with said passage, and said memory means, said memory means being for holding the analyzing condition defined by said sensing means.

2. An analyzer according to claim 1, wherein said assembly further includes second memory means for holding the result of said analysis of said sample, and said analyzer body further includes means for writing the result of said analysis of said sample into said second memory means.

3. An analyzer according to claim 1, wherein said assembly further includes third memory means for holding operational history information of use of said sensing means, and said analyzer body further includes means for writing the operational history information of use of said sensing means into said third memory means.

4. An analyzer according to claim 1, wherein said memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

5. An analyzer according to claim 1, wherein said memory means is attachable to and detachable from said sensing means, and said sensing means is attachable to and detachable from said analyzer body.

37. An analyzer according to claim 1, wherein said sensing means includes an ion-selective electrode.

6. An analyzer body on which an assembly is to be detachably mounted, said assembly including a passage through which a sample passes during analysis of said sample, sensing means having a characteristic of inherently defining an analyzing condition of said sample, said sensing means being in contact with said passage, and memory means for holding the analyzing condition defined by said sensing means, the analyzer body comprising:

means for holding said sample;

means for reading the analyzing condition from said memory means;

means for performing said analysis of said sample on the basis of the read analyzing condition; and

means for outputting a result of said analysis of said sample.

7. An analyzer body according to claim 6, wherein said assembly further includes second memory means;

and

wherein said analyzer body further comprises means for writing said result of said analysis of said sample into said second memory means.

8. An analyzer body according to claim 6, wherein said assembly further includes third memory means;

and

wherein said analyzer body further comprises means for writing operational history information of use of said sensing means into said third memory means.

38. An analyzer body according to claim 6, wherein said sensing means includes an ion-selective electrode.

9. An assembly which is to be detachably mounted on an analyzer body, said analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for reading an analyzing condition from memory means, means for performing analysis of said sample on the basis of the read analyzing condition, and means for outputting a result of said analysis of said sample, the assembly comprising:

a passage through which said sample passes during said analysis of said sample;

sensing means having a characteristic of inherently defining an analyzing condition of said sample, said sensing means being in contact with said passage; and

said memory means, said memory means being for holding the analyzing condition defined by said sensing means.

10. An assembly according to claim 9, further comprising second memory means for holding said result of said analysis of said sample.

11. An assembly according to claim 9, further comprising third memory means for holding operational history information of use of said sensing means.

12. An assembly according to claim 9, wherein said memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

13. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein said second memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

14. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein said third memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

15. An assembly according to claim 9, wherein said memory means is attachable to and detachable from said sensing means, and said sensing means is attachable to and detachable from said analyzer body.

39. An assembly according to claim 9, wherein said sensing means includes an ion-selective electrode.

16. An assembly which is to be detachably mounted on an analyzer body, said analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for reading an analyzing condition from memory means, means for performing analysis of said sample on the basis of the read analyzing condition, and means for outputting a result of said analysis of said sample, the assembly comprising:

a sensing means package including a passage through which said sample passes during said analysis of said sample, sensing means having a characteristic of inherently defining an analyzing condition of said sample, said sensing means being in contact with said passage, and first connecting means for detachably connecting said sensing means package to said analyzer body;

a memory unit including said memory means, said memory means being for holding said analyzing condition defined by said sensing means, and second connecting means for connecting said memory means to said reading means of said analyzer body; and

third connecting means for detachably connecting said sensing means package and said memory unit to each other.

17. An assembly according to claim 16, wherein said memory unit further includes second memory means for holding said result of said analysis of said sample.

18. An assembly according to claim 16, wherein said memory unit further includes third memory means for holding operational history information of use of said sensing means.

19. An assembly according to claim 16, wherein said memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

20. An assembly according to claim 17, wherein said second memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

21. An assembly according to claim 18, wherein said third memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

40. An assembly according to claim 16, wherein said sensing means includes an ion-selective electrode.

22. A sensing means package which is to be detachably mounted on an analyzer body, said analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for reading an analyzing condition from memory means, means for performing analysis of said sample on the basis of the read analyzing condition, and means for outputting a result of said analysis of said sample, the sensing means package comprising:

a passage through which said sample passes during said analysis of said sample;

sensing means having a characteristic of inherently defining an analyzing condition of said sample, said sensing means being in contact with said passage;

first connecting means for detachably connecting said sensing means package to said analyzer body; and

mounting means on which a memory unit is to be detachably mounted, said memory unit including said memory means, said memory means being for holding said analyzing condition defined by said sensing means, and second connecting means for connecting said memory means to said reading means of said analyzer body.

41. A sensing means package according to claim 22, wherein said sensing means includes an ion-selective electrode.

23. A memory unit which is to be detachably mounted on an analyzer body, said analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for reading an analyzing condition from memory means, means for performing analysis of said sample on the basis of the read analyzing condition, and means for outputting a result of said analysis of said sample, the memory unit comprising:

said memory means, said memory means being for holding said analyzing condition;

first connecting means for connecting said memory means to said reading means of said analyzer body; and

mounting means for detachably mounting the memory unit on a sensing means package, said sensing means package including a passage through which said sample passes during said analysis of said sample, sensing means having a characteristic of inherently defining an analyzing condition of said sample, said memory means being for holding said analyzing condition defined by said sensing means, said sensing means being in contact with said passage, and second connecting means for detachably connecting said sensing means package to said analyzer body.

24. A memory unit according to claim 23, further comprising second memory means for holding said result of said analysis of said sample.

25. A memory unit according to claim 23, further comprising third memory means for holding operational history information of use of said sensing means.

26. A memory unit according to claim 23, wherein said memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

27. A memory unit according to claim 24, wherein said second memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

28. A memory unit according to claim 25, wherein said third memory means includes a non-volatile memory.

42. A memory unit according to claim 23, wherein said sensing means includes an ion-selective electrode.

29. An automatic blood analyzer comprising:

an analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for reading an analyzing condition from a non-volatile memory, means for performing analysis of said sample on the basis of the read analyzing condition, and means for outputting a result of said analysis of said sample; and

an assembly detachably mounted on said analyzer body, said assembly including a passage through which said sample passes during said analysis of said sample, an electrode having a characteristic of inherently defining an analyzing condition of said sample, said electrode being in contact with said passage, and said non-volatile memory, said non-volatile memory being for holding the analyzing condition defined by said electrode.

43. An automatic blood analyzer according to claim 29, wherein said electrode is an ion-selective electrode.

30. An analyzer comprising:

an analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for performing analysis of said sample on the basis of a predetermined analyzing condition, means for outputting a result of said analysis of said sample, and means for writing the result of said analysis of said sample and/or operational history information of use of sensing means into memory means; and

an assembly detachably mounted on said analyzer body, said assembly including a passage through which said sample passes during said analysis of said sample, said sensing means, said sensing means having a characteristic of inherently defining an analyzing condition of said sample and being in contact with said passage, and said memory means, said memory means being for holding said result of said analysis of said sample and/or said operational history information of use of said sensing means.

44. An analyzer according to claim 30, wherein said sensing means includes an ion-selective electrode.

31. An analyzer comprising:

an analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for reading software from memory means, the software describing a procedure for performing analysis of the sample, means for performing the analysis of the sample on the basis of the procedure described by the software, and means for outputting a result of the analysis of the sample; and

an assembly detachably mounted on the analyzer body, the assembly including an element having a characteristic of inherently defining the procedure for performing the analysis of the sample described by the software, and the memory means.

32. An analyzer according to claim 31, wherein the element and the memory means are incorporated in the assembly such that the memory means is not detachable from the assembly.

33. An analyzer according to claim 31, wherein the memory means is attachable to and detachable from the element, and the element is attachable to and detachable from the analyzer body.

45. An analyzer according to claim 31, wherein the assembly further includes a passage through which the sample passes during the analysis of the sample;

and

wherein the element is in contact with the passage.

46. An analyzer according to claim 31, wherein the element includes an ion-selective electrode.

34. An analyzer comprising:

an analyzer body including means for holding a sample, means for reading software from memory means, the software describing a procedure for performing analysis of the sample, means for performing the analysis of the sample on the basis of the procedure described by the software, and means for outputting a result of the analysis of the sample; and

an assembly detachably mounted on the analyzer body, the assembly including an element having a characteristic of inherently defining the procedure for performing the analysis of the sample described by the software, the memory means, and a circuit for carrying out serial communication between the memory means and the analyzer body.

35. An analyzer according to claim 34, wherein the element and the memory means are incorporated in the assembly such that the memory means is not detachable from the assembly.

36. An analyzer according to claim 34, wherein the memory means is attachable to and detachable from the element, and the element is attachable to and detachable from the analyzer body.

47. An analyzer according to claim 34, wherein the assembly further includes a passage through which the sample passes during the analysis of the sample;

and

wherein the element is in contact with the passage.

48. An analyzer according to claim 34, wherein the element includes an ion-selective electrode.