Instrument and Method for Clinical Examinations and Cleaning Method Therefor

Abstract

An automated clinical analyzer and method is offered which can clean the nozzles of a reaction cuvette wash unit. A first detergent is put in first reagent containers located on a first reagent turntable. A computer controller drives a first reagent pipette to aspirate the detergent from the first reagent containers and to deliver the detergent into reaction cuvettes. The controller drives a reaction turntable to bring each reaction cuvette holding the detergent therein to the reaction cuvette wash unit. The controller drives the reaction cuvette wash unit to aspirate the detergent from inside the reaction cuvettes using reaction cuvette wash nozzles to thereby clean the wash nozzles. A second detergent is then used to clean the nozzles.

1 . An automated clinical analyzer comprising:
 a sample turntable on which sample containers are set;   a reagent turntable on which reagent containers are set;   a reaction turntable on which reaction cuvettes are set;   a sample pipette for delivering a sample into the reaction cuvettes on the reaction turntable;   a reagent pipette for aspirating a reagent from each of the reagent containers on the reagent turntable and delivering the aspirated reagent into the reaction cuvettes on the reaction turntable;   a reaction cuvette wash unit for washing the reaction cuvettes set on the reaction turntable, the reaction cuvette wash unit having plural wash nozzles for aspirating reaction liquids from inside the reaction cuvettes, delivering and aspirating a first detergent, and delivering and aspirating a rinse fluid; and   control means for controlling the operation of the sample turntable, the reagent turntable, the reaction turntable, the reagent pipette, and the reaction cuvette wash unit;   wherein a second detergent is placed in a position where the second detergent can be drawn in by the reagent pipette; and   wherein the control means drives the reagent pipette to aspirate the second detergent and to deliver it into the reaction cuvettes and drives the reaction turntable to move each of the reaction cuvettes holding the second detergent therein into the position of a specified one of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit and to cause this specified wash nozzle to descend for aspirating the second detergent from inside the reaction cuvette.   
     
     
         2 . An automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said specified wash nozzle is all or part of wash nozzles of said reaction cuvette wash unit which perform a sucking operation. 
     
     
         3 . An automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said control means provides control such that the second detergent is aspirated and delivered into plural ones of the reaction cuvettes, then these plural reaction cuvettes are brought into the positions of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit other than the wash nozzle operating to aspirate at least said reaction liquids from inside the wash nozzles, the plural reaction cuvettes are made to descend, and the second detergent is aspirated from inside the reaction cuvettes to thereby clean the wash nozzles. 
     
     
         4 . An automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said control means provides control such that the second detergent is aspirated and delivered into a single one of the reaction cuvettes, then this single reaction cuvette is moved into the position of a single one of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit other than the wash nozzle operating to aspirate at least the reaction liquids, the wash nozzle is made to descend, the second detergent is aspirated from inside the reaction cuvette, and these steps are carried out repeatedly to thereby clean the wash nozzles. 
     
     
         5 . An automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said second detergent includes at least one of an alkaline detergent, an acidic detergent, and a hypochlorite detergent. 
     
     
         6 . An automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein after cleaning of the wash nozzles using the second detergent, said control means causes the reaction cuvettes used for cleaning using the second detergent to be cleaned by the use of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit to thereby wash away the second detergent remaining in the reaction cuvettes. 
     
     
         7 . An automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a diluted sample turntable mounted between said sample turntable and said reaction turntable and having diluted sample containers set thereon;   a dilution pipette for aspirating a sample from each of the sample containers on the sample turntable and delivering the aspirated samples into the diluted sample containers set on the diluted sample turntable, the dilution pipette being so configured as to aspirate the diluted samples from the diluted sample containers and to deliver the aspirated diluted samples into the reaction cuvettes on the reaction turntable; and   a diluted sample container wash unit for cleaning the diluted sample containers, the diluted sample container wash unit having plural wash nozzles for aspirating the diluted samples from inside the diluted sample containers, delivering and aspirating a third detergent, and delivering and aspirating a rinse fluid;   wherein a fourth detergent is placed in a position where the fourth detergent can be aspirated by the dilution pipette; and   wherein said control means drives the dilution pipette to aspirate the fourth detergent and to deliver the aspirated detergent into the diluted sample containers, drives the diluted sample turntable to move each of the diluted sample containers holding the fourth detergent therein into the position of a specified one of the dilution wash devices of the diluted sample container wash unit, and moves this wash nozzle downwardly to aspirate the fourth detergent from inside the diluted sample containers.   
     
     
         8 . A cleaning method adapted to be implemented in an automated clinical analyzer having a sample turntable on which sample containers are set, a reagent turntable on which reagent containers are set, a reaction turntable on which reaction cuvettes are set, a reagent pipette for aspirating a reagent from each of the reagent containers on the reagent turntable and delivering the aspirated reagent into the reaction cuvettes on the reaction turntable, a reaction cuvette wash unit for cleaning the reaction cuvettes set on the reaction turntable, the reaction cuvette wash unit having plural wash nozzles for aspirating reaction liquids from inside the reaction cuvettes, delivering and aspirating a first detergent, and delivering and aspirating a rinse fluid, and control means for controlling the operation of the sample turntable, the reagent turntable, the reaction turntable, the reagent pipette, and reaction cuvette wash unit, said cleaning method comprising the steps of:
 placing a second detergent in a position where the second detergent can be aspirated by the reagent pipette;   driving the reagent pipette such that the second detergent is aspirated and delivered into the reaction cuvettes;   driving the reaction turntable to move the reaction cuvette holding the second detergent therein into the position of a specified one of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit; and   making this wash nozzle descend to aspirate the second detergent from inside the reaction cuvette.   
     
     
         9 . A cleaning method adapted to be implemented in an automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 8 ,
 wherein during said step of driving the reagent pipette such that the second detergent is aspirated and delivered into the reaction cuvettes, the second detergent is aspirated and delivered into the reaction cuvettes;   wherein during said step of driving the reaction turntable to move the reaction cuvette holding the second detergent into the position of a specified one of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit, the reaction cuvettes are moved into the positions of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit other than the wash nozzle operating to aspirate the reaction liquids from inside the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit; and   wherein during said step of making the wash nozzles descend to aspirate the second detergent from inside the reaction cuvettes, the wash nozzles are made to descend and the second detergent is aspirated from inside the reaction cuvettes to thereby wash the wash nozzles.   
     
     
         10 . A cleaning method adapted to be implemented in an automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 8 ,
 wherein during said step of driving the reagent pipette such that the second detergent is aspirated and delivered into the reaction cuvette, the second detergent is aspirated and delivered into a single one of the reaction cuvettes and then this single reaction cuvette is moved into the position of a single one of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit other than the wash nozzle operating to aspirate the reaction liquid from inside the wash nozzles;   wherein during said step of driving the reaction turntable to move the reaction cuvette holding the second detergent into the position of a specified one of the wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit, said single wash nozzle is made to descend and the second detergent is aspirated from inside the reaction cuvette; and   wherein these two steps are carried out repeatedly to clean the plural wash nozzles.   
     
     
         11 . A cleaning method adapted to be implemented in an automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said detergents include at least one of an alkaline detergent, an acidic detergent, and a hypochlorite detergent. 
     
     
         12 . A cleaning method adapted to be implemented in an automated clinical analyzer as set forth in any one of  claims 8  to  10 , wherein after said step of making the wash nozzles descend to aspirate the second detergent from inside the reaction cuvette, the second detergent remaining in the reaction cuvettes is removed by cleaning the reaction cuvettes used for cleaning using the second detergent by the use of the plural wash nozzles of the reaction cuvette wash unit. 
     
     
         13 . A cleaning method adapted to be implemented in an automated clinical analyzer as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said automated clinical analyzer further includes a diluted sample turntable mounted between said sample turntable and said reaction turntable and having diluted sample containers set thereon, a dilution pipette for aspirating a sample from each of the sample containers on the sample turntable and delivering the aspirated samples into the diluted sample containers set on the diluted sample turntable, and a diluted sample container wash unit for cleaning the diluted sample containers, the diluted sample container wash unit having plural wash nozzles for aspirating diluted samples from inside the diluted sample containers, delivering and aspirating a third detergent, and delivering and aspirating a rinse fluid, said diluting pipette being configured such that the diluted samples are aspirated from the diluted sample containers and delivered into the reaction cuvettes on the reaction turntable, said cleaning method further comprising the steps of:
 placing a fourth detergent in a position where the fourth detergent can be aspirated by said dilution pipette;   driving said dilution pipette such that the fourth detergent is aspirated and delivered into the diluted sample containers;   driving said diluted sample turntable to bring the diluted sample container containing the fourth detergent into the position of a specified one of the wash nozzles of said diluted sample container wash unit; and   making this specified wash nozzle descend to aspirate the fourth detergent from inside the diluted sample container, thus cleaning this wash nozzle.