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EP-4257985-B1 - METHOD OF PRODUCING SAMPLE COLLECTION APPARATUS

EP4257985B1EP 4257985 B1EP4257985 B1EP 4257985B1EP-4257985-B1

Inventors

  • FUKUMARU, HAJIME
  • Suguru, Yoshida

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230329

Claims (4)

  1. A method of producing a sample collection apparatus (40), the apparatus (40) comprising: a support (70) provided with a pulse motor (50), and with a nozzle unit (60) that is driven by the pulse motor (50) to cause horizontal movement of a nozzle (61) from an initial position (90) to a sample collection position (95); a slit plate (71) which functions as a guide for the movement of the nozzle unit (60) and in which slits (72) provided with N continuous edges, wherein N is an integer of 3 or higher, are formed; a photo-interrupter (62) that moves in conjunction with the nozzle unit (60) to recognize the slits (72); a holding member (80) configured to hold, under the sample collection position (95), a sample tube (11) which stores a sample, and in which an insertion opening (11A) for insertion of the nozzle (61) is formed; a controller (100) configured to control the pulse motor (50) and the photo-interrupter (62); and a storage device (150) for storing data for carrying out control; wherein in a case in which a diameter of a collection range (11B) that is a range in which the nozzle (61) can be inserted into the insertion opening (11A) is defined as w, an edge closest to the initial position (90) among the N continuous edges is defined as a 1st edge (73a), and an edge most distant from the initial position (90) is defined as an Nth edge, signals sent to the controller (100) in a case in which the photo-interrupter (62) recognizes the 1st edge (73a) to the Nth edge are defined as a 1st signal to an Nth signal, respectively, positions of the nozzle (61) at which the photo-interrupter (62) recognizes the 1st edge (73a) to the Nth edge are defined as a 1st position (L1) to an Nth position, respectively, all distances between positions next to each other among the 1st position (L1) to the Nth position are less than w/2, a position at a distance of w/2 from the 1st position (L1) toward an initial-position side is defined as a lower-limit position (94), and a position at a distance of w/2 from the Nth position toward a side opposite from the initial position (90) is defined as an upper-limit position (96), the method comprises the steps of: attaching the holding member (80) to the support (70) such that the collection range (11B) is included within a range from the lower-limit position (94) to the upper-limit position (96); loading the sample tube (11) on the holding member (80); counting a number of pulses with which the pulse motor (50) is driven to move the nozzle (61) to a center of the collection range (11B) of the sample tube (11); identifying, among the 1st signal to the Nth signal, a last signal recognized by the photo-interrupter (62) before the nozzle (61) reaches the center of the collection range (11B); and storing the number of pulses and the last signal in the storage device (150).
  2. The method of producing a sample collection apparatus (40) according to claim 1, wherein N is 3, the distance from the 1st position (L1) to the 2nd position (L2) is a distance a, and the distance from the 2nd position (L2) to the 3rd position (L3) is a distance b.
  3. The method of producing a sample collection apparatus (40) according to claim 2, wherein the distance a is equal to the distance b.
  4. The method of producing a sample collection apparatus (40) according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3, wherein identifying the last signal includes identifying the last signal by identifying a number of edges recognized by the photo-interrupter (62) before the nozzle (61) reaches the center of the collection range (11B) from the initial position (90).

Description

BACKGROUND Technical Field The present invention relates to a method of producing a sample collection apparatus for collecting a sample such as a blood sample from a sample tube, and subjecting the sample to various analyses. Related Art For a liquid chromatography apparatus for collecting a sample such as a blood sample from a sample tube and subjecting the sample to analysis, techniques such as that in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2015-127700 in which a blood sample is collected from a blood collection tube placed on a rack using a nozzle movable in the vertical direction and horizontal direction have been disclosed. Further, techniques such as that in WO 2010/038852 A1 in which a blood collection tube is held in a state in which the tube is sandwiched between a driving roller and a driven roller, wherein, in this state, a nozzle breaks through a cap to enter the blood collection tube, and sucks blood to be subjected to liquid chromatography, have been disclosed. US 2009/078717 A1 discloses a pipette tip supplier comprising: a container for containing pipette tips; a separator for separating pipette tips one by one; and a transporting section (driven by a stepping motor) for transporting pipette tips separated by the separator, one by one, to a first position via a second position. An optical detector detects the pipette tips at the second position. JP H07 140127 A discloses a sample collection apparatus having a slit plate for guiding a nozzle unit. In apparatuses such as in the technique described in WO 2010/038852 A1 in which a liquid sample such as blood is sucked using a nozzle in a state in which a sample tube containing the sample is held by rollers, a pulse motor is used in some cases to drive the nozzle to move to a predetermined position of the sample tube. In cases in which such a mechanism of nozzle movement using a pulse motor does not normally operate, in other words, in cases in which, for example, the nozzle does not reach the intended position, it may be attributable to the pulse motor being out of step. Examples of the cause of this include design problems such as high working speed and insufficient torque of the pulse motor; and accidental causes such as collision with an obstacle during the operation. In order to allow the apparatus using the mechanism to normally operate, it may be necessary in some cases to confirm whether the nozzle has reached the position intended by the mechanism. An ordinary method used for detecting normal operation of the mechanism is a method in which an optical sensor or the like is used to compare, with a predetermined reference value, how many slits have been detected during the operation of the motor or how many pulses have been input into the pulse motor to achieve slit-to-slit movement. The reference value is calculated based on the working distance, the excitation method for the motor, the width of the slit, and/or the like of the mechanism, and stored as setting information for the apparatus during its production. A conventional reference value is a value uniquely defined based on the design (such as the number of pulses input into the pulse motor). This value is set taking variation into account such that a difference from the set reference value attributable to variation among mechanisms due to the tolerance, vibration during the operation of the mechanism, and the like is acceptable. Therefore, the accuracy of the judgment may be lower than the original accuracy. In order to take the variation into account while maintaining the accuracy, adjustment of the reference value and the sensor position is necessary for each mechanism, so that the production and the installation of the apparatus require more manpower. In view of this, an aspect of the invention provides a technique that enables production of a sample collection apparatus capable of securely moving a nozzle to a predetermined position of a sample tube, without requiring manpower during the production and the installation of the apparatus. SUMMARY An aspect of the invention is a method of producing a sample collection apparatus, the apparatus including: a support provided with a pulse motor, and with a nozzle unit that is driven by the pulse motor to cause horizontal movement of a nozzle from an initial position to a sample collection position;a slit plate which functions as a guide for the movement of the nozzle unit and in which slits provided with N continuous edges, wherein N is an integer of 3 or higher, are formed;a photo-interrupter that moves in conjunction with the nozzle unit to recognize the slits;a holding member configured to hold, under the sample collection position, a sample tube which stores a sample, and in which an insertion opening for insertion of the nozzle is formed;a controller configured to control the pulse motor and the photo-interrupter; anda storage device for storing data for carrying out control; wherein in a case in whicha diameter of a coll