Circular type cartridge enabling centrifugation and modular automatic analyzer using the same

An automatic analyzer using a circular type cartridge enabling centrifugation, the automatic analyzer comprising:

• a main body frame;
• an X-axis conveying unit which reciprocally moves in an X-axis direction of forward and backward with respect to the main body frame;
• a circular type cartridge accommodating housing which is installed with respect to the X-axis conveying unit so as to be reciprocally movable in the X-axis direction by the X-axis conveying unit;
• a circular type cartridge which is installed at an upper side of the circular type cartridge accommodating housing, and has a centrifugation well for centrifugation of a sample, and two or more wells for testing the sample;
• a single rotation drive unit which selectively rotates the circular type cartridge step by step by a predetermined interval and at a high speed for centrifugation, and is installed in the circular type cartridge accommodating housing;
• a pipette tip;
• a tip lifting unit configured to move the pipette tip upward and downward for testing the well;
• a measurement unit which measures a reaction in the well;
• a Z-axis drive unit which is provided with the tip lifting unit and the measurement unit, and reciprocally operates in a Z-axis direction with respect to the main body frame, wherein the Z-axis direction is arranged transverse to the X-axis direction;
• a control unit which controls the X-axis conveying unit, the rotation drive unit, the tip lifting unit, the measurement unit, and the Z-axis drive unit so as to enable an automatic immunity analysis;
• wherein the circular type cartridge accommodating housing further includes:
• a hollow chamber which has a vacant interior so as to accommodate the circular type cartridge at the upper side thereof;
• a fan unit having a circular type cartridge support portion configured to support the circular type cartridge such that the circular type cartridge is rotatable, and a blade portion which extends from the circular type cartridge support portion, wherein the fan unit is positioned in the hollow chamber, coupled to a central hole of the circular type cartridge by being fitted into the central hole, and is configured to generate forced convection at a lower side of the circular type cartridge;
• and
• a heater unit which is installed around the fan unit and configured to supply a predetermined heat so that the well at the lower side of the circular type cartridge comes into an atmosphere at a predetermined temperature,
• wherein the rotation drive unit is configured to simultaneously operate the circular type cartridge and the fan unit.