JP3254307B2 - Sample container check method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention finds a sample container from a sample container which is not dispensed by an automatic dispensing line or cannot be dispensed from a sample composed of body fluids such as blood, plasma, serum and urine. The present invention relates to a sample container check method for surely taking out a sample container when dispensing manually.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, a flow of a sample processing will be described with reference to FIG. 3 showing a dispensing and inspection system including an automatic dispensing line developed by the present applicant. In a hospital or the like, a sample container 1 containing a sample (generally, a test tube is capped) is provided with test instruction information, an order source, and the like as shown in FIG. A label 2 displaying the converted sample number is attached and sent to the sample laboratory, while necessary items described in the sample test request 3 are input to the host computer 4 in the sample laboratory online or the like.

In a sample laboratory, a certain number (for example, one
The sample containers 1 of 10 rows and 5 rows (total of 50 rows) are set in the sample container rack 9. At this time, the bar code portion of the sample number is automatically read by the optical reader 22 every time one row is set. And read the rack number 21 of the sample container rack 9 with another optical reader 20.
The read information (the rack number 21 and the information on the position of the sample container 1 in the rack) is transferred to the auxiliary host computer 25 via the terminal computer 23 in association with the sample number 21, and the information is stored here. Keep it.

As shown in FIG. 5, a rack 9 on which a sample container 1 read by such a reading device is set.
Two main lines 30 are provided on the safe side in consideration of a failure, and dispensing lines 32a to 32j which are branched from the main line 30 and whose objects to be dispensed are predetermined are provided. Each of the injection lines 32a to 32j includes an automatic dispenser 33.

At each branch of the main line 30, an optical reader 35 for reading the sample container rack number 21 is provided. In the vicinity of the downstream side of the optical reader 35,
When the sample container rack 9 of the rack number read by the optical reader 35 includes the sample container 1 to be dispensed on the corresponding dispensing line, the corresponding dispensing line 32a to 32
In order to flow the sample container rack 9 through 32j, for example, an air cylinder 36 is provided as an actuator.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, each main line 30
Is provided with a terminal computer 31. The terminal computer 31 relays information and performs line control between the auxiliary host computer 25 and the automatic dispenser 33, the optical reader 35, and the air cylinder 36.

When dispensing from the sample container 1 in the sample container rack 9 set in the automatic dispensing machine 33 to the dispensing container 6 in the dispensing container rack 12, the operator 8 uses the automatic dispensing machine. 33
The computer attached to each computer reads the rack number 21 of the sample container rack 9 and the rack number 24 of the dispensing container rack 12, and instructs the computer attached to the dispenser to perform key input of the dispensing operation. Thereby, the computer attached to the dispenser dispenses the sample of the sample container 1 to be dispensed from the sample container rack 9 from the auxiliary host computer 25 to the dispensing container 6 via the terminal computer 31 of the main line 30. . When all of the dispensing containers 6 set in the dispensing container rack 12 are full, the operator carries out the dispensing container 12 along the route shown by the dotted line B. When there is no sample container 1 set in the sample container rack 9 to be dispensed on the dispensing line, the sample container rack 9 is returned to the main line 30 and flows downstream. After dispensing, the sample container rack 9 is unloaded along the route indicated by the solid line C and stored in the sample storage.

In the above dispensing operation, if dispensing has not been performed on the dispensing container 6 to be dispensed or if the dispensing is insufficient, the sample cannot be sucked up into the suction pipe of the dispenser. Or inadequate volume is detected by optical means for monitoring the liquid level in the siphoning pipe, or by the fact that the pressure in the siphoning cylinder does not become negative, in which case the sample container is The pre-dispensing sample position information including the rack number 21 and the coordinate position is stored in the dispensing failure area of the auxiliary host computer 25, and the dispensing failure portion is stored in the dispensing container rack 12. Samples to be dispensed are sequentially injected into the injection container 6 from the younger coordinate portion so that no empty dispensing container is formed on the way. When the dispensing of all the dispensing containers 6 in each dispensing container rack 12 is completed, the auxiliary host computer 25 dispenses the dispensing container rack 12 with the dispensing container rack number and its coordinate position. The post-sample position information is stored in association with the sample number.

The dispensing container rack 12 in which the dispensing operation is performed and the dispensing container 6 for dispensing automatic analysis is set, causes the automatic analyzer 13 to perform the automatic analysis under the control of each terminal computer 50. . Terminal computer 5 of automatic analyzer 13
0 is the auxiliary host computer 2 in the dispensing operation.
An analysis operation is performed based on the information stored in the storage unit 5. on the other hand,
For the dispensing container for which the manual inspection 11 is performed, the manual inspection 11
The sorting 51 is performed for each of the places where the processing is to be performed, and the sorting is performed on the second dispensing container rack 14. In addition, for a sample to be strictly strictly weighed, the precise automatic dispenser 15 performs accurate weighing and performs the manual inspection 11.

In such a dispensing and inspection system,
For a sample that cannot be flown through the automatic dispensing line shown in FIG. 5, such as a frozen sample or a plurality of samples whose order to be analyzed is determined in advance, the sample is transferred to the auxiliary host computer 25 (the terminal computer 50 also). The sample number is input in the order of “good”, and as described above, the sample container 1 that could not be dispensed (the sample container that cannot be dispensed on the automatic dispensing line from the beginning or that cannot be dispensed). The sample container that has been used is referred to as a special sample container.)
The sample numbers are also stored for, and a list 57 in which these are integrated and ordered is output. In a sample laboratory, if the number of samples per day is large, it may reach 100,000, and the number of special sample containers output to the list 57 may reach 10,000.

The operator takes out the special sample container 1 from the sample container rack 9 stored in the sample storage 52 shown in FIG. However, there is a case where the sample container 1 is mistakenly picked up due to an operator's mistake in viewing. In order to eliminate such mistakes, the applicant of the present application has disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 4-11861 that the sample container 1 is determined according to a certain rule as shown in FIG. A label 56 such as an animal name or a personal name that is easy to see is added to the sample number 55, and not only the sample number in the list 57 and the sample number added to the sample container 1 are matched, but also the label 56 is matched. However, even if such a method is adopted, since it is a work by a person, mistakes may still be made at present.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a sample container having a barcode for displaying a sample number in which a sample composed of a bodily fluid is placed, in which the dispensing becomes impossible or impossible in an automatic dispensing line. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sample container checking method that can remove a sample container without fail when a special sample container not to be poured is taken out of a sample storage.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an automatic dispensing line for a sample container containing a body fluid sample and having a barcode indicating a sample number. The sample numbers of the special sample containers that can or cannot be dispensed are stored in a storage medium in order, and the storage medium is attached to a portable barcode reader. And the barcode of the sample container is read by the portable barcode reader, and the read sample number corresponds to one of the sample numbers stored in the storage medium and is in accordance with the removal order. Whether or not is determined by the determination means provided in the barcode reader,
If not applicable, an alarm is issued by an alarm attached to the bar code reader.

[0014]

According to the present invention, the bar code of the sample number of the special sample container which is not dispensed or cannot be dispensed is automatically read by the bar code reader, and the bar code of the sample is determined by the judgment means attached to the bar code reader. It is checked whether the code and the order of removal correspond to the sample to be removed, and if these are incorrect, an alarm is issued, so that the operator can recognize that the removed sample container is incorrect and The mistake of taking out is prevented.

[0015]

FIG. 1A shows an example of a portable barcode reader 60 used in the present invention. The bar code reader 60 has a reader 61 that reads a bar code 54 of the sample container 1 using a battery as a power supply. On the other hand, the auxiliary host computer 25 outputs a list 57 from which the special sample containers 1 are extracted, and outputs the special sample containers 1 to a recording medium 62 such as a proppy disk in the same order as the list 57. The barcode reader 60 has the special sample container 1 attached to the main body so as to be readable, or has a separate means for reading the recording medium 6. The barcode reader 60 is read out from the determination means 64 shown in the functional block diagram of FIG. 1B, that is, the sample number of the special sample container 1 to be read out next from the recording medium 62 and the reader 61. Means (program) for determining whether or not the sample numbers read by the method match. Further, the bar code reader 60 has an alarm 63 for issuing an alarm when an erroneous sample number is read as a result of the determination by the determining means 64. The alarm 63 is composed of a buzzer, a lamp, or the like, but an alarm may be issued on a display panel by characters or marks.

FIG. 2 shows the bar code reader 60 shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flow of a check process of a special sample container 1 by use, in which an operator enters a sample storage 52 shown in FIG. 1 and a corresponding sample container rack 9 according to a list 57 (this sample container rack 9 is Of the special sample container 1 is located at a corresponding location on the shelf to which the range of the sample container number is added, so that the operator can easily find the special sample container 1. The special sample container 1 is taken out (S1) and read. The bar code 54 of the sample number of the sample container 1 is read by the container 61, and the determination unit 64 determines whether the read sample number is the number of the corresponding sample recorded in the recording medium 62 in order, If so, the next sample container is taken out, the reading address of the sample on the recording medium is incremented by one, and the next sample number is read. If the sample number is not that of the corresponding sample container, an alarm is issued by the alarm 63. The operator recognizes that the wrong sample container has been removed by the alarm, reviews the list 57, returns the incorrectly removed sample container to the original position, and removes the corresponding sample container.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the sample containers that could not be dispensed on the automatic dispensing line and the sample containers that were not dispensed on the automatic dispensing line from the beginning are listed in list 5.
7, but these are separate lists 57
May be output. A plurality of auxiliary host computers 25 or terminal computers 50 that output such a list 57 may be provided, and the list 57 may be output for each computer 25 or 50. Further, the alarm 63 may be provided separately from the bar code reader 60, or the alarm 63 may be provided integrally with the reader 61. The alarm 63 and the reader 6
It is electrically connected as one body or separate body from 1
Signals may be transmitted and received between these and the reader 61 wirelessly.

[0018]

According to the present invention, when a special sample container which cannot be dispensed or is not dispensed in the automatic dispensing line is taken out of the sample storage, the number of the special sample container taken out corresponds to the number. If not, an alarm is issued, so that it is possible to prevent mistakenly taking the special sample container.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of a portable barcode for implementing a method of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a functional block diagram thereof.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flow of a process in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a system diagram showing a sample dispensing and testing system of the prior application.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a label attached to a sample container and contents to be described.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an automatic dispensing line of the prior application.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sample container 2 Label 54 Barcode 60 Portable barcode reader 61 Reader 62 Recording medium 63 Alarm

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Toro Ochi 1-34-5 Koenji Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo BML Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-62-226058 (JP, A) JP-A-1-212361 (JP, A) JP-A-61-82168 (JP, A) JP-A-5-288754 (JP, A) JP-A-5-27676 (JP, U) JP-A-3-113455 ( JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01N 35/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sample container having a barcode for displaying a sample number and containing a sample composed of a bodily fluid, in which a special sample container which cannot be dispensed or which is not dispensed in an automatic dispensing line is ordered. It is stored in a storage medium, the storage medium is attached to a portable barcode reader, and the sample container in the sample storage is searched for the special sample container, and the barcode of the sample container is stored in the portable barcode. The sample number read by the reader is determined by the determination means provided in the bar code reader to determine whether the read sample number corresponds to the sample number stored in the storage medium and is in accordance with the order of removal. ,
If not applicable, a warning is issued by an alarm attached to the bar code reader.