Method of washing container used for reaction of body liquid sample and reagent

• US 5,789,252 A
• Filed: 10/17/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Instruments Engineering Company Limited, Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Instruments Engineering Company Limited, Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shibata, Yasuhisa, Murakami, Emi, Fujita, Hiroko, Hattori, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long V.
• Application Number:
  US08/731,674
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 436/49, 436/43, 436/54, 436/180, 134/22.14, 134/22.19, 510/161, 510/179, 510/421, 510/422, 510/475, 510/499, 510/506, 422/63, 422/64
• US Class Current: 436/49
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/00 Cleaning or rinsing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/02 for receptacle or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/08 the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect substances used, see the relevant classes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/20 Industrial or commercial equipment, e.g. reactors, tubes or engines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3765 in liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114998 with treatment or replacement of aspirator element [e.g., cleaning, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/119163 with aspirator of claimed structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A body fluid sample and a reagent are reacted in a reaction container, and after measuring the reaction solution the reaction solution is discharged from the reaction container. The vacant reaction container is washed by charging a detergent solution containing plural kinds of surface active agents through a nozzle of a washing mechanism. The detergent solution is a mixed solution containing polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycol ether, N-acyl amino acid salt and polyacrylic salt. By the washing method in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to eliminate bad effects due to incomplete washing of reaction containers in an apparatus for automatically successively analyzing biological samples.

Claims

1. A method of washing a container in which a biological sample has reacted with a reagent to produce a reaction solution, comprising the steps of:

(a) ejecting the reaction solution from the container;

(b) after step (a), injecting a diluted dense detergent mixture containing poly-oxyethylene alkyl ether, poly-oxyethylene poly-oxypropylene glycol ether and poly-acrylic acid salt and a diluent into the container;

(c) ejecting the diluted dense detergent mixture from the container; and

(d) after step (c), washing the container with pure water.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said poly-acrylic acid salt is any one of sodium polyacrylate and potassium polyacrylate.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the diluted dense detergent mixture further contains N-acyl-amino acid salt.

4. A method of washing a container in which a biological sample has reacted with a reagent to produce a reaction solution, comprising the steps of:

(a) ejecting the reaction solution from the container;

(b) after step (a), washing the container with a mixed solution of surface active agents, without a step of washing said container with an acidic detergent and without a step of washing said container with an alkaline detergent, said mixed solution including poly-oxyethylene alkyl ether as a major component and poly-oxyethylene poly-oxypropylene glycol ether and poly-acrylic acid salt as other components;

(c) ejecting the mixed solution from the reaction container; and

(d) after step (c), washing the container with pure water.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein

said poly-oxyethylene alkyl ether is expressed by a chemical formula R--O--(CH₂ CH₂ O) _n H, where R is an alkyl group having a carbon number of 8 to 20 and n is an integer of 3 to 12.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein said mixed solution further includes N-acyl-amino acid salt.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein

said N-acyl-amino acid salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium N-lauroyl sarcosinate, sodium N-lauroyl-N-methyl alaninate, and potassium N-lauroyl sarcosinate.

8. A method according to claim 4, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of mixing a dense detergent mixture and a diluent in a mixing bottle to thereby obtain said mixed solution;

and discharging said mixed solution from said mixing bottle to said container through an injection nozzle.

9. An automatic analyzer in which a body fluid sample and a reagent are reacted with each other in a container to produce a reaction solution, the reaction solution is measured, and the container is washed, comprising:

a detergent solution bottle accommodating a dense detergent solution including a plurality of kinds of surface active agents, including poly-oxyethylene alkyl ether, poly-oxyethylene poly-oxypropylene glycol ether and poly-acrylic acid salt;

an injection nozzle;

a mixing bottle;

means for feeding the dense detergent solution to the mixing bottle;

means for feeding pure water as a diluent to the mixing bottle so as to dilute the dense detergent solution with the pure water;

means for feeding the diluted dense detergent solution through the injection nozzle to the container after the reacted solution has been ejected from the container;

a waste liquid bottle whose interior is depressurized; and

a sucking nozzle through which the diluted dense detergent solution in the container is sucked towards the waste liquid bottle.