Automated analyzer
AssigneeHitachi High-Tech Corporation
InventorsHidetsugu Tanoue, Yoichiro Suzuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In preparation for a case in which the time at which a first reagent probe comes into contact with cleaning liquid and the time at which a second reagent probe comes into contact with cleaning liquid are the same, an automated analyzer is provided with a charge accumulation unit that is provided between a supply port comprising a conductive material that is electrically connected to the cleaning liquids and a device housing and has a capacitance that is greater than or equal to that of the first reagent probe and second reagent probe. As a result, it is possible to prevent interference between the liquid-surface contact determination units of a plurality of probes.
Claims6
An automated analyzer dispensing and causing a sample and a reagent to react with each other in a reaction container to measure a reacted mixed solution, the automated analyzer comprising:
- a plurality of dispensing probes, including reagent probes and sample probes, each of which is configured to dispense a reagent or a sample to be analyzed, respectively, into the reaction container,
- a supply port storing conductive liquid with which the reagent probes come into contact,
- a conductive-liquid supply unit supplying the conductive liquid, through a flow path connected to the supply port, to the supply port,
- a liquid-surface contact determination unit, including a capacitance sensor, installed in each of the plurality of dispensing probes, and determining a contact of a leading end of each of the plurality of dispensing probes with a liquid surface of the conductive liquid, based on a change in capacitance between the leading end and a housing, and
- a charge accumulation unit, including a capacitor, provided between the conductive liquid and the housing, and having a capacitance that is equal to or higher than a capacitance of each of the plurality of dispensing probes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.