METHOD FOR CHECKING THE FUNCTIONALITY OF A METERING PUMP

Abstract

The invention relates to a metering pump, for example, for a pipetting apparatus in an automated analysis machine, and to a method for checking the functionality thereof.

Claims

1. A method for checking the functionality of a metering pump comprising a cylinder and a motor-driven plunger which is movable in the cylinder, the plunger being displaceable between a start position and a target position, the method comprising the following steps: (a) displacing the plunger from the start position in a direction of the target position with a driving force F0 set in advance; (b) monitoring whether the plunger arrives at the target position; and (c) returning the plunger to the start position with a driving force F2 set in advance, the driving force F0 being less than the driving force F2; wherein: (d) a signal assigned to the metering pump is generated indicating the functionality of the metering pumpif it is determined that the plunger reaches the target position; and (e) the steps a) to c) are repeated with a driving force F0+n increased by a value n, the driving force F0+n being less than the driving force F2if it is determined that the plunger does not reach the target position.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps a) to c) are repeated in step e) with a driving force F0+xn which is successively increased by a value xn, the driving force being less than the driving force F2, (i) until it is determined that the plunger reaches the target position and the driving force F0+xn required in this respect does not exceed a maximum driving force F1, which is set in advance and less than the driving force F2, and, thereupon, a signal assigned to the metering pump indicating the functionality of the metering pump is generated; or (ii) until it is determined that the plunger does not reach the target position with the maximum driving force F1 set in advance and, thereupon, a replacement signal assigned to the metering pump is generated.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the metering pump is rendered inoperative if the plunger does not reach the target position with the maximum driving force F1 set in advance.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the maximum driving force F1 set in advance is 80% of the driving force F2.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving force F0 corresponds to approximately half of the driving force F2.

6. A method for operating a metering pump, wherein the functionality of the metering pump is tested prior to activation of the metering pump by the method as claimed in claim 1 andif a signal assigned to the metering pump indicating the functionality of the metering pump was generatedthe method comprises moving the plunger from the start position in the direction of the target position and back again with the driving force F2 after activating the metering pump.

7. A metering pump comprising a cylinder, a plunger which is movable in the cylinder, and a motor, wherein a driving force is transferable from the motor onto the plunger, as a result of which the plunger is displaceable between a start position and a target position, and wherein the metering pump has a control device configured in such a way that it controls a method for checking the functionality of the metering pump, the method comprising the following steps: (a) displacing the plunger from the start position in a direction of the target position with a driving force F0 set in advance; (b) monitoring whether the plunger arrives at the target position; and (c) returning the plunger to the start position with a driving force F2 set in advance, the driving force F0 being less than the driving force F2; wherein: (d) a signal assigned to the metering pump is generated indicating the functionality of the metering pumpif it is determined that the plunger reaches the target position; and (e) the steps a) to c) are repeated with a driving force F0+n increased by a value n, the driving force F0+n being less than the driving force F2if it is determined that the plunger does not reach the target position.

8. The metering pump as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control device is further configured in such a way that it further controls that the steps a) to c) are repeated in step e) with a driving force F0+xn which is successively increased by a value xn, the driving force being less than the driving force F2, (i) until it is determined that the plunger reaches the target position and the driving force F0+xn required in this respect does not exceed a maximum driving force F1, which is set in advance and less than the driving force F2, and, thereupon, a signal assigned to the metering pump indicating the functionality of the metering pump is generated; or (ii) until it is determined that the plunger does not reach the target position with the maximum driving force F1 set in advance and, thereupon, a replacement signal assigned to the metering pump is generated.

9. The metering pump as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control device is further configured in such a way that it further controls that the metering pump is rendered inoperative if the plunger does not reach the target position with the maximum driving force F1 set in advance.

10. The metering pump as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control device comprises a memory unit in which the driving force F2, the driving force F0, the value n for increasing the driving force F0 and/or the maximum driving force F1 are stored.

11. An automated analysis machine comprising at least one pipetting apparatus which comprises a metering pump as claimed in claim 7.

12. The automated analysis machine as claimed in claim 11 and further comprising an output medium, wherein the output medium converts the signal indicating the functionality of the metering pump generated by the control device of the metering pump or the replacement signal into a signal that is perceivable visually or acoustically and indicates the latter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] FIG. 1 shows an automated analysis machine according to the invention;

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a pipetting apparatus comprising a metering pump according to the invention; and

[0051] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method for checking the functionality of a metering pump.

[0052] The same parts are provided with the same reference signs in all the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an automated analysis machine 1 with some of the components contained therein. Here, only the most important components are depicted in a very simplified manner in order to explain the basic functionality of the automated analysis machine 1 without, in the process, representing the individual parts of each component in detail.

[0054] The automated analysis device 1 is embodied to fully automatically carry out very different analyses of blood or other bodily fluids without any activities of a user being required in this respect. Instead, necessary interventions of a user are restricted to servicing or repairing functional units and to refilling work, for example, if cuvettes need to be refilled or liquid containers need to be replaced.

[0055] The patient samples are fed to the automated analysis machine 1 on carriages (not depicted in any more detail) by way of a supply rail 2. By way of example, information in respect of the analyses to be carried out for each sample may be transferred by means of barcodes applied to the sample vessels, the barcodes being read in the automated analysis machine 1. By means of a pipetting needle, sample aliquots are taken from the sample vessels with the aid of a first pipetting apparatus 3.

[0056] The sample aliquots are likewise fed to cuvettes (not depicted in any more detail) which are arranged in receiving positions 4 along a rotatable incubation device 5 which is temperature controlled to be at 37 C. The cuvettes are removed from a cuvette storage container 6. Reagent vessels 8 with various reagent liquids are stored in the reagent vessel storage container 7, which is cooled to approximately 8-10 C. Reagent liquid is removed from a reagent vessel 8 by means of the pipetting needle of a second pipetting apparatus 9 and released for providing a reaction mix in a cuvette in a receiving position 4. After the incubation time, the cuvette with the reaction mix is transported by a transfer arm with a gripper (not depicted here) from the incubation device 5 to a photometric measuring unit 10, where the absorbance of the initial reaction solution is measured.

[0057] The whole process is controlled by a central control unit 11, such as, e.g., a computer connected by a data line 12, assisted by a plurality of further electronic circuits and microprocessors (not depicted here in any more detail) within the automated analysis machine 1 and the components thereof.

[0058] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a pipetting apparatus 20 comprising a metering pump 30 according to the invention. The pipetting apparatus 20 comprises a height adjustable pipetting needle 22 fastened to a horizontally displaceable transfer arm 21, by means of which pipetting needle liquid may be taken from a liquid vessel 23 or released into a liquid vessel 23. The metering pump 30 comprises a cylinder 31 and a plunger 32 which is linearly displaceable within the cylinder 31. The volume of the cylinder 31 is 500 microliters. The plunger 32 is coupled to a stepper motor 33, which comprises an encoder 34 as a sensor for reporting the position. The stepper motor 33 may be operated with different current strengths, and so differently strong driving forces may be exerted on the plunger 32. For the purposes of checking the functionality of the metering pump 30, which is explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 3, the plunger 32 is displaced with defined driving forces between the start position 35, set in advance, at 600 steps and the target position 36, set in advance, at 800 steps. During routine operation of the pipetting apparatus 20, defined liquid volumes are taken up or released by the pipetting needle 22 as a result of moving the plunger 32 when the valve 37 is closed. If the valve 37 is open, a cleaning solution 38, such as, e.g., deionized water or a disinfection solution, may be pumped through the metering pump 30 and the pipetting needle 22 by means of a pumping apparatus 39 for cleaning purposes.

[0059] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a method for checking the functionality of the metering pump 30 of the pipetting apparatus 20 from FIG. 2, the latter being part of an automated analysis machine 1. In step 50, a start signal for carrying out the method for checking the functionality of the metering pump 30 is output by the central control unit 11 of the automated analysis machine 1. Thereupon, in step 51, the values, set in advance, for the driving force F2 (600 mA stepper motor current), the driving force F0 (300 mA stepper motor current), the value n for increasing the driving force F0 (90 mA) and the maximum driving force F1 (80% of F2, i.e., 480 mA stepper motor current) are initially read from the control device of the metering pump 30, the values being stored in a configuration file in the control device, and the plunger 32 is displaced into the start position 35 with the driving force F2 in step 52. Subsequently, in step 53, the plunger 32 is displaced with the driving force F0 in the direction of the target position 36. Step 54 monitors whether the plunger 32 has reached the target position 36 with the applied driving force (F0). If this is the case, a signal assigned to the metering pump 30 indicating the functionality of the metering pump 30 is generated in step 57 and the process is terminated. By contrast, if step 54 determines that the plunger 32 has not reached the target position 36 with the applied driving force (F0), the driving force F0 is increased by the value n (90 mA) in step 55 and steps 52, 53 and 54 are repeated with a driving force F0+xn increased step-by-step until the plunger 32 has reached the target position 36. Then, step 56 monitors whether the driving force F0+xn (300 mA+x*90 mA) does not exceed the maximum driving force F1 (480 mA). If it is determined that the driving force F0+xn, with which the target position 36 was reached, has not exceeded F1, a signal assigned to the metering pump 30 indicating the functionality of the metering pump 30 is generated in step 57 and the process is terminated. By contrast, if it is determined that the driving force F0+xn, with which the target position 36 was reached, has exceeded F1, a replacement signal assigned to the metering pump 30 is generated in step 60, the replacement signal indicating the lacking functionality of the metering device 30, and the process is terminated.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0060] 1 Analysis machine [0061] 2 Supply rail [0062] 3 Pipetting apparatus [0063] 4 Receiving position [0064] 5 Incubation device [0065] 6 Cuvette storage container [0066] 7 Reagent vessel storage container [0067] 8 Reagent vessel [0068] 9 Pipetting apparatus [0069] 10 Measuring unit [0070] 11 Central control unit [0071] 12 Data line [0072] 20 Pipetting apparatus [0073] 21 Transfer arm [0074] 22 Pipetting needle [0075] 23 Liquid vessel [0076] 30 Metering pump [0077] 31 Cylinder [0078] 32 Plunger [0079] 33 Stepper motor [0080] 34 Encoder [0081] 35 Start position [0082] 36 Target position [0083] 37 Valve [0084] 38 Cleaning solution [0085] 39 Pumping apparatus [0086] 50-60 Method steps